Eidolon
by ayamari no Goshi
Summary: AU: What started off as the result of a simple act of rebelion ends up causing his life to spin out of control. How will young Danny cope with the results as well as a past that has a strange habit of coming back to haunt him.
1. Prelude

Eidolon

Disclaimer: I OWN NOTHING! Danny Phantom and all its characters are owned by Butch Hartman and Winston Wolfe was created and is owned by Hornswaggler. I just have permission to borrow him.

Author's notes: This story was inspired by CrystalDream's story, _Home is Where the Heart is_. I can only hope that what I'm writing does not dishonor her writing.

I do not expect this to be a story that is written quickly. The muse behind this story seems to be finicky and seems to want to make me really work for it. It will definitely take time for me to write each chapter, so be patient with me.

And, before I forget, just in case a few of you get confused, the part in italics actually occurs later in the story. It's there to catch your attention. Okay, now I'm done! Enjoy!

_Edit (05/15/12): Next month I will be editing this story as June is usually my editing month. I humbly request feedback so that I know what I can improve upon as it's really hard to judge one's own writing. Thank you for your consideration._

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><p><em>1. Prelude<em>

_It was getting worse. In a last attempt for some stability, he desperately grasped at one of his bed posts as another convulsion coursed through his body. That pain that accompanied it was even more intense than it was the previous time._

_It was the pain that had him clinging in a desperate plea to not be consumed by its fire. With each convulsion, the fire burned hotter and more forcefully, slowly replacing the living with the dead._

_Another shudder rocked his body, causing him to collapse. He was now fully aware that the fire had spread to his lungs. As he took his last breaths before they seized completely, he reached out in one last attempt to find something that might explain what he had done to deserve such a terrible fate…_

…

…

Winston Wolfe was definitely angry. As a man with military training, he usually was very good at keeping his emotions under control. However, with the current situation, there was little his training could do. Something of his had gone missing, and he was tearing his house apart trying to find some clue as to where it could have gone.

As he searched his house encountering little luck, he muttered Russian curses at himself and the missing 'object' in question for being so idiotic. He had left the house for a few hours in order to see if he could get some sort of information about a call that he was expecting, and, in that time, it appears that the object had managed to slip out of the house, again.

"Daniel!" he shouted in a tone that was mixed with anger and exasperation. For, the object that was missing was actually Winston's teenage charge, Daniel.

This had not been the first time that the boy had decided to sneak out of the house. In fact, this sort of thing was beginning to become rather frequent. It was definitely irritating to the former military man, since it was a clear disregard of his orders. However, once he found the boy, he knew that it was going to be difficult for him to remain angry with him for too long. The boy was his son, even if there was no true relation between them.

Besides, he really could not blame the boy for sneaking out of the house. He had been in Winston's care for several years and had been home schooled for most of it. And, frequently, he had not been allowed out of the house much, mostly due to Winston's own fears and his sense of duty. He had tried on his own to take care of the boy, after giving his word that he would do everything in his power to protect him. Even though Amity Park was a relatively safe place to live, one could never be too careful.

A gnawing fear as well as anger coursed through him each time the boy escaped, even though he knew this was just part of normal teenage rebellion. What normal child would be content to stay inside all the time? However, Winston had begun to get harsher with the boy, once he was located. It was becoming a bit too regular for his liking. Who knew what an almost-fifteen-year-old boy might get himself into?

Also, even though the boy was usually not too hard to find, another thing that had begun to worry Winston was what had become the boy's favorite place to go. It was strange. One would think that he would go to a place where he could meet other kids his own age, since it was clear at times that he was lonely. Yet, he never seemed to go where there were any, choosing instead to claim the local graveyard as his favorite haunt.

The first time he found the boy there, he thought the boy might be looking for some sign of his parents, who had disappeared when he was an infant, although it quickly became apparent that was not the case. Daniel never seemed to be looking at the headstones when he found him. Instead, he had either been wondering rather aimlessly or peacefully sitting on one of the benches. There had been times that he had mistaken the boy's form for that of a shadow or even a ghost, not that he would ever admit that. Something about that quite graveyard seemed to take away the boy's human presence.

That, perhaps, was the most unsettling part of all of this.

Winston ran his hand through his still dark hair in frustration. The boy was definitely not in the house. After grabbing his coat, he marched out of the small house in the direction of where he was sure the boy had gone. Unsettling as Daniel's choice might be, at least he tended to be predictable.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

He figured that he should probably head home, but that really didn't concern him too much at the moment. It was a nice day, and he really didn't get a chance to be outside for prolonged periods. Even if he did get in trouble, it was worth it.

The house was nice, but it really never changed. Sure, items, like furniture and clothes, came and went, but the house itself never changed, and that made it boring. That sense of boredom never seemed to come to him, at least quickly, when he was outside. From day to day, the scenery seemed to change. It was one of the things that enjoyed the most, along with the feeling of freedom.

Though he could not purchase anything, due to the lack of money, he felt as if he was able to do just about anything while he was outside. Yet, he never really felt any real urge to 'go crazy', as others might. It was enough just to wonder and to watch.

Something he never quite understood was his desire to wonder in locations where there were not many people. Every time he thought about it though, he just figured that Winston's warnings of staying away from strangers… well, most people in general, was so ingrained into his mind that it just happened subconsciously. Winston, however, did not like his normal choice of haunts, which he always thought was a bit strange.

When he first stumbled across the town's graveyard, he thought that perhaps he might find something about his parents. He knew that it probably would not amount to much since he had absolutely no information about them (Winston would often keep his mouth shut when the topic was breached), but he had gone anyways. And, it was that initial search that had peaked his interest.

Dates and epitaphs gave him clues about the lives of those who had come before him. The carvings, statues, and mausoleums showed him a macabre sense of beauty that could not really be found elsewhere. That art also would make him think about the possibilities of what might be out there. Many of the statues often depicted angels or religious figures, which often seemed to, in a sense, keep watch over the sacred grounds. At times, it even seemed like they were protectors as he occasionally felt as if there was something unseen lurking in the shadows of the trees. Although he knew there was nothing there, that feeling never seemed to be there when he was near one of the statues.

He suddenly stopped walking and turned towards his left. That feeling, the one of being watched, was back. His eyes narrowed as he glanced around. Nothing seemed to be there, but it was definitely more pronounced and uncomfortable than usual.

Although he really did not want to head back home just yet, that feeling made him too nervous to stay. It was better to play it safe, so he began to head back towards the entrance.

He tried to keep himself calm as he moved. Something was definitely not right. That feeling, whatever it was, seemed to be following him. Something seemed to move at the corner of his vision, causing him to stop. Was it just a squirrel or something? Or was it something else? It seemed a little too big to be just an animal…

"Hey, there he is!"

He was so startled that he could have sworn he jumped at least three feet in the air. He turned to the source of voice and was somewhat surprised to see two kids, about his age, coming towards him. The first was a girl with dark hair and clothes. The sounds of her heavy boots and accent chains seemed overly loud to him as she ran over. The second was a dark skinned boy wearing classes and a red beret. Although he was following the girl, it was clear that he was being cautious in his approach.

"Um… can I help you?" he asked cautiously as he watched them.

The girl ignored him for a moment as she turned to the other boy. "See Tucker, I told you he wasn't a ghost!"

"Oh yeah? I'm not too convinced of that. I've heard of legends were ghosts look so real that you can't tell they're not human," the boy, Tucker, said as he adjusted his glasses. He seemed to be examining him, which he found even more unnerving than the presence, which conveniently seemed to be gone. "Besides, how come the only place anyone's ever seen him is here?"

He glanced at the two strangers. Ghost? Him? What in the world where they talking about? "Excuse me," he interrupted irritably, "but am I missing something?"

The girl gave him an apologetic look. "Sorry about that. There's a rumor going around our school that a ghost has been seen here. They say that it's the ghost of a teenage boy with dark hair and light eyes. He's usually seen wearing jeans and a t-shirt."

"And, that fits you to a T, sorry to say," Tucker finished. It was clear that he was still not convinced that his status was that of 'among the living'.

"Tucker!" the girl snapped as she glared at him. "Just because you've never seen him before, it doesn't mean that he's a ghost!"

"Okay, Sam, than tell me why the only place he's been seen is in the graveyard. Or, better yet, why we found him here." Tucker's voice was almost as challenging. Almost. In truth, it seemed like he was hiding the fact that he was somewhat scared of the girl's temper.

"Can you stop treating me like I can't hear you?" he asked, not betraying the fact that he was somewhat amused by their argument. "Look, I am not a ghost. I've just gotten in the habit of taking walks here…" He frowned as he tried to find the right words to explain why. "It's…" he foundered for the word. "Peaceful… here…?" He wanted to kick himself. That sounded like he was so unsure of himself.

Tucker's eyes narrowed as he considered the answer. "Okay, if that's true, then why haven't I seen you before? You don't go to our school."

"Have you ever thought that maybe he just moved here and that his parents are setting all of that up?" Sam demanded.

"Parent," he corrected quietly, which caused both of them to stare at him, making him a bit nervous. "I only have one parent…"

"Right… So, did you just move here then?"

"No… From what I understand, we've been here since I was little. And," he added before Tucker could interrupt, "I've been home schooled the entire time."

"Okay, that's almost believable." He sighed as Tucker continued, "But that still doesn't explain why none of us have ever seen you before."

"It's not my fault that I have an over-protective parent! It's gotten so bad recently that I've practically had to sneak out of the house in order to get a change of scenery. Do you have any idea what it's like to stare at the same thing day after day with no real variety? It's boring!" He took a breath before he continued his tirade. "And, I'm sorry that you've never seen me before! It's not like I've been given the chance to get to actually introduce myself to anyone. In truth, I think that you two, people who thought I might be a ghost, are the first people my age I've spoken to for… Jeez, I don't even know how long. You might even be the first."

His expression was challenging as he waited for one of them to speak again. Although he was a bit angry, at the same time, he felt oddly relieved. It was nice being able to vent and have someone listen.

It was Sam who spoke first. "Wow, that's pretty rough…. Well, it won't solve your problems at home, but how about we show you around town? Oh, and by the way, I'm Sam." She nudged the boy beside her, "And this scaredy cat is Tucker."

"Sam! What are you doing? He's going to attack us… or something!"

"Tucker, will you give it a rest already?" She then rolled her eyes and held out her hand. "Well, are you interested?"

He looked at her hesitantly before he shook her hand. "I'm Danny… And, that sounds kinda nice. I'm already in trouble, so I might as well do it thoroughly." He was then distracted by Tucker, who seemed to be examining him closely. "What is your problem?"

"Y-you can actually touch her!" he stammered before he decided to touch Danny's arm.

"Uh, yeah. I thought that we had already established that I'm not a ghost."

Tucker nervously adjusted his glasses. "I was just trying to make sure. You can never be too careful." He tried to keep his embarrassment out of his voice by passing it off as if it was really nothing.

With a grin, Danny glanced over at Sam, "Do you think he's finally convinced?"

"No, but give him an hour." She seemed just as amused. "We should be able to get it through his thick skull by then."

"Hey! I resent that!"

"And what are you going to do about it, huh?" Although it was clear that Tucker had wanted to say something, he thought against it, which pleased Sam. "I thought so." She then grabbed hold of both of the boys and started dragging them towards the entrance. "Come on! We don't have all day!"

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Winston was really starting to get worried. He had already looked in Danny's normal haunt and found absolutely no sign of the boy. This was definitely not good. He couldn't contact the authorities to help find the boy for various reasons (first and for most was that Danny hadn't been missing for more than twenty-four hours), and he really didn't have anyone else that he could turn to for assistance.

He knew that the boy would probably come home on his own in a few hours, but he would rather know where he was. There was something about this particular day… a sort of uneasy feeling in the air. He really wasn't a person who believed in premonitions, but something told him that he should pay attention to this particular one.

As he hurried down one of the main streets, he thought about the situation at hand. Amity Park was supposedly safe from the kind of attacks that had cost Danny his parents, but after being in the service, he had learned that no place was completely safe. Could that thing really be in the area? No, that was a ridiculous thought. It hadn't been seen in years. Possibly someone had killed it by now….

He shook his head as he continued his trek, there were more concerning issues at hand, like trying to find that boy. Where the heck was he?

A familiar voice and figure distracted him from his thoughts. Winston had looked up just in time to watch his young charge round a corner. What was strange was that he was not alone. Unless he was mistaken, Danny was actually accompanied by someone. That was not good. What if he said something? That could put today's work out the window! Without a second thought he started sprinting after them.

Luckily for him, the kids had decided to stop for some reason about midway down the street. From a distance, it seemed like the two kids who were with them were pointing out something to him. Maybe they were just showing him around… He would have to get the full story from Danny later since it appeared that they were about to start moving again.

"DANIEL!" he shouted putting as much anger as he could muster while being winded into it. The shout had the desired effect as Danny turned around and stared at him with a classic 'deer in the headlights' look. He knew he was in trouble.

Thankfully, the kids did not decide to run as he approached him. Perhaps that was Danny's doing. "Young man, could you explain to me what you were thinking?" he demanded once he fully caught his breath. "You are supposed to be at home, and, yet, you're here. Care to explain?"

For a moment, Danny seemed absolutely lost for words, so he just floundered around for a moment. Surprisingly, the girl beside him answered for him. "He's been stuck at home! What do you expect him to do?" From her challenging tone, it was clear that she wasn't intimidated by him in the least.

"Sam, please, don't get involved," Danny told her while looking at the ground.

That comment just seemed to make her angrier. "Don't I? Danny, grow some backbone! You said earlier that you want to be out more! You have a right to be free! He can't take that away from you!"

"Actually, since I am his guardian, I have the full right to limit that freedom." Winston then sighed as he ran his hand through his hair. "Danny, we'll talk about this more when we get home. Let's head back."

"Oh, now you act all nice to him."

Danny then placed a hand on her shoulder. "It's okay. Just let it drop. I'll… hopefully see you again." He then glanced over at the other boy who had decided to remain silent during this. "Do you still think I'm a ghost?"

The boy smiled at him. "Nah. You're just a guy who needs to work a little on his sex appeal, if you know what I mean."

"Really? And you can judge this how?"

The boy grinned arrogantly. "Don't you know who you're talking to? Tucker Foley. That's T.F. for too fine. All the ladies love me!"

Sam snickered. "Yeah, all the ones in your dreams."

"Hey!"

Danny just laughed as he watched the two of them continue. Winston was actually surprised by them. He was pretty sure that this was the first time that Danny had met either of them, but it seemed like they were already good friends. That was going to cause a little bit of a problem with the situation he had to face once he got Danny home, but he could probably work around that… somehow.

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><p><em>And… I don't know why, but I feel like that's a good place to stop this chapter. XD Probably, someone's going to cause me evil for that. Please let me know how you like it. Like I mentioned above, this is going to be a challenge to write, so I'm going to need all the support I can get.<em>

_I honestly don't know when the next chapter will come out, since I'm about to start back to school and I have a job, but I'll try my best._

_Until the next installment,_

_Goshi signing off_


	2. Complications

_Disclaimer: I own nothing! Not the show, not the characters, and possibly not even the plot (that's up to debate though)_

_A quick word before we begin:_

_I have never recieved such positive reviews for a new work before. I'm rather grateful and blown away at the same time. Due to lack of free time, I may not reply to all of the reviews, but I do read and apprieciate all of them!_

_**-**to **Elle Aitch**: It's not normal for me to reply_ _via chapter... but you didn't leave me much of a choice! I honestly can't express how flattered I am by your review. And, I don't mind the length. After all, it's difficult to know what you're doing correctly or incorrectly when there's no details. I'm glad that the 'normal characters' were in character... That can be problematic sometimes... -frowns- Crap... I forgot about Jazz... Other than the general plot and some later details, I'm not too sure where this story is going. Any thoughts or ideas are very welcomed. And, I've actually never heard of that book before... once I progress further and get money I think I'll take your advice and look into it. Thanks again!_

_And, that's it! On to the story!_

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><p>Eidolon<br>2: Complications

"Daniel… May I come in?" Winston asked as he knocked on his charge's door about an hour after the two had returned home. He had sent the boy to his room as soon as they walked in for two separate reasons. The first was punishment; Danny had snuck out of the house after all. The second was that it would give Winston a little bit of time to gather his thoughts so that he could hopefully handle the situation.

A muffled reply answered him after a moment. It was probably a 'no', but that was pushed aside as he opened the door. He was a little surprised to see that the room was a mess; random items, mostly clothes, had been scattered, more likely thrown, around the room. The perpetrator was sitting on his bed and seemed rather angry that he had been interrupted. The boy had thrown a rather impressive tantrum, which was surprising, since Winston really hadn't heard anything. Perhaps he had been more distracted than he thought.

The older man sighed as he sat down on the bed while ignoring the glares that were being sent his way. "I know you're upset…" Well, that wasn't the best way to start things off.

The boy snorted. "Wow, aren't you perceptive."

Sarcasm, of course. Sometimes he swore that was the boy's native language, but he was going to have to ignore that at the moment, there were more important things at hand. "Could you please stop for just a moment and listen? You can cuss me out later." He hoped that his tone didn't have any anger (or much) in it, even if he had added an uncommon note of command.

Danny continued to glare at him, but he didn't say anything, which Winston took as a cue to continue. "I know that it's definitely hard for a boy your age to be kept in the house most of the time… However, we have a bit of a current situation…"

"Situation…?" the boy asked as he narrowed his eyes. "What kind?"

"It's not too bad…" Winston glanced upwards for a moment before he continued, a little surprised that he had the boy's attention. "…Hopefully…" There was a momentary pause before he continued. "I recently got a call from the state… From what I understand, some of the documents of your adoption have gone missing. They're going to be sending a case worker out to evaluate our current situation. If everything checks out, we'll be able to fix this and go on as if nothing happened…"

Danny was silent for a moment. His expression changed from that of skepticism to concern. "And what if this case worker guy doesn't like what he sees…?"

It was Winston's turn to look troubled. "Then it spells bad news for us. It could turn into a custody battle." He then reached over and placed his hand on the boy's shoulder. "Don't worry; I won't let it come to that. Can you promise me something though? Until this whole mess gets sorted out, can you please not sneak out of the house again?"

"What's that got to do with anything?"

Winston repressed the urge to roll his eyes. "Think about it for a moment. What happens if someone ends up calling the police because of… who knows? With what's going on right now, it could make this situation worse! I promised your parents that I'd take care of you, and I'll be damned if a stupid move on your part because of your 'rebellious phase' makes me break that."

"But what about Sam and Tucker? It's not like I can just disappear from them now, especially with how angry Sam was earlier."

What was it about teenagers that seemed to make them try and bring others into their arguments? However, this was something that he couldn't really ignore. Sure, he could tell Danny that he couldn't see them until after everything was situated with the state (or at all), but that would just backfire on him. Danny would become even more put out and probably sneak out again in spite. Or his anger could come across as something else when the case worker came, which would definitely not be good.

But that wasn't all that could go wrong. If he wasn't mistaken, that Sam girl was the daughter of the Mansons, a very powerful family with lots of connections. If she happened to say anything to them, it could cause them to get involved and launch their own investigation. The rumors around town said that she wasn't on the best of terms with them, but judging by how willful she seemed, she might actually use her power. That, by itself, could pose the biggest problem at the moment.

Instead of answering him immediately, Winston decided to ask a question of his own. "How are you sure you can trust them?" It definitely caught the boy off guard. He let him flounder around a bit before he decided to take the pressure away. "You just met them, so of course you really can't tell yet. …I guess that means that you'll just have to get to know them better." He thought about it a moment. "It's going to be fall soon, so they're probably back to school already. Thankfully, tomorrow's Sunday…"

"Wait… What did you say…?" Danny's eyes were wide with surprise and disbelief.

The expression was priceless which made it difficult for Winston to keep his tone even. "A boy your age should have friends. I'm still not very pleased that you snuck out again, but I think that I'll let it pass this time. We will have to work out times for you to go out, since I don't know when we're going to get that visit… but we can work on that tomorrow."

It was amazing what that simple statement did to the boy. It turned him from a brooding angsty… (was that the right word…? Was that even a word?) teenager to an overly thankful kid. He chuckled as he excited the room to allow Danny to revel in his victory.

With what the next few weeks were going to have in store for him, it was important that he at least had something good. When he had told Danny there was a situation, he hadn't lied… It was just that it was direr than he had mentioned. Winston only wished he knew how the state managed to find out. He knew that it had been a possibility… but after so many years, he thought it would no longer be a problem.

Then, there was the boy's birthday to consider. It was probably going to fall in the middle of all of this, which was definitely going to make the situation worse. And, if what he had been told was correct, then that date would add an entirely new dimension of problems.

He sighed as he massaged his temple. There was just so much that had to be kept secret, and it was all about to come out. Hopefully, Danny would find it in his heart to forgive him for all of the deception.

Eventually.

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There was no way that he had managed to be that lucky! Winston hadn't even grounded him! He was so happy that he was honestly thinking about shouting for joy, even if it really wasn't too dignified. There was only one problem with this…. How was he going to be able to contact Sam and Tucker again? It wasn't like he knew their numbers or even where they lived. Maybe it wasn't as good of a deal as he had originally thought.

He growled in frustration as he punched the wall. Winston had just humored him! He knew that he probably wasn't going to be able to see them again which was why he was so lenient! Danny wanted to kick himself for being so stupid. A pyrrhic victory, that's what this was.

The question now was what was he going to do about this? There was no way that he was going to let Winston get away with this. Who cared if that worker… or whatever… was coming? That was still a few weeks away. Or never... That whole story could have been created just to give him a reason to act better.

He glanced at the clock; it was nearly eight. Good! Winston had a habit of doing paper work from around that time to when he went to bed. He knew that the man did something for the school district but though he was not entirely sure of the specifics. Whatever it was, it definitely took a lot of time out of his day. When he was much younger, he used to hate that, but today, it was going to be a blessing.

About a half an hour later, after he was sure that Winston was occupied with his work, he snuck out of the house, via his window, for the second time that day. Once he made sure that he hadn't accidentally alerted his guardian, he immediately headed towards the graveyard. They had been there once…. Maybe they'd be there again.

…..

On second thought… maybe this wasn't such a good idea.

Usually, at least to him, the local graveyard was a rather peaceful place, but this time, it was anything but that. In the setting sun, the beautiful and watchful statues were now little more than leering and grotesques figures. There was also a strange, unnerving chill in the air that seemed to displace any sense of solace he might find. Something was definitely off. It was almost as if the uneasy feeling he had gotten earlier in the day had suddenly decided to multiply a thousand times. He knew it was probably safer to listen to his instinct and leave, but he wanted to be there in case they did come back.

A sudden rustling of leaves caught his attention, causing his eyes to narrow as he glanced around. There was no wind, and there did not seem to be any people in the area. It was most likely just an animal… Glancing over his shoulder, he decided to head back towards the entrance. If anything, Sam and Tucker would probably stay around that area.

He probably shouldn't wait much longer anyways; no more than another hour. Night had finally descended allowing the shadows to come out of hiding and dominate the world. There were few lights in the cemetery which allowed the darkness to feel more pressing. Most people would steer clear of such locations. It was safer that way since it was difficult to tell what could be lurking within the safety of the shadows.

Wait… Was there someone actually out there? He could have sworn that he heard something that sounded like quiet chuckling. Yet, after waiting a moment, there was no other sound. His nerves were starting to get to him. He knew this place. Nothing bad had ever happened. The sound had probably just carried from somewhere. Even so, it wouldn't hurt to move a little faster.

"_Leaving so soon, boy…?"_

He spun around and searched the area. There was no way that voice had carried; it sounded like it had come from somewhere nearby. "H-hello…?" he replied shakily. Who had called out to him? It sounded male… but it did not belong to anyone he knew. What made it worse was that it was difficult to pinpoint. It was almost as if it had come out of nowhere. "Is…. Is someone there…?"

Silence was the only response. "That's it… I'm losing my mind…" he told himself after a few long minutes. Once again, he scanned the area. He was about to start moving again when he caught movement at the edge of his vision. "What was that…?" Fear had begun to grip him. There was no way that was just a local animal. No, this was way too large. Whatever it was, it was probably not friendly.

Another noise broke into his train of thoughts. Without a second thought, he ran as fast as he could towards the other sound. His footfalls were heavy, a dead give away to whomever… whatever… was out there. Its shadow seemed to ghost in and out of his line of sight as he ran, almost as if to let him know that there was no way that he could ever outrun it. He could feel its amusement in its movements. This was nothing more than a game to it; a game that he could not win. Even if that was the case, he was going to do whatever it took to try.

His only hope was to try to get to his goal, the cemetery gates. He had thought that he had heard other people in that direction. His fiercely beating heart and spastic breathing made it difficult to concentrate on the voices, but they did seem like they were getting louder. He was getting closer! He needed to reach them! He had to reach them!

As he neared the gates, he saw two figures illuminated by one of the few cemetery lights. A boy and girl… Sam and Tucker! They had come after all! They looked somewhat weary… maybe they could actually hear him running. He called out, somehow, and they saw him.

There was only about a hundred more yards before he reached them and the edge of the light. He tried to push himself just a little more when his feet failed him. Ignoring the injuries from the paved walkway, he glanced backwards and tried to get up. It was still there! Its shadow was now in the trees.

"Danny! Are you okay?"

He jumped. The voice was right on top of him. He glanced back towards his new friends only to realize that they were within mere feet of him. When did they get so close? But he could not think about that now, he had made a horrible mistake! "You… got to… get out of here…!" It was hard to speak while he was so out of breath, but they had to be warned! They didn't know what was out there!

"Dude, what's wrong?" Tucker was clearly worried as he watched Sam help him up.

It was getting harder to breathe. His body was screaming for air causing the edges of his vision to darken. "It's… not safe…!" he tried to tell them between gasps. "Go…!"

"Danny, breathe!" Sam told him sharply, which he ignored as he glanced back in the direction of his pursuer. Worried, she took his face between her hands so that she could get him to look at her. "Calm down! What's wrong?"

Before he had a chance to speak, Tucker started to stammer. Both he and Sam looked over to see him pointing at something within the darkness. "Wh-what's that?"

He looked in the direction and saw two small lights of vivid crimson coming from the shadows. There was no movement for a moment before the lights seemed to narrow. The sight sent a chill down into his very core. They were eyes!

"_So…You've found comfort in the arms of friends…_" It was the same voice from earlier. Unlike before, when it seemed like it could have been coming from anywhere; it had a point of origin somewhere near the crimson orbs. "_Enjoy it while it lasts…"_ The voice then laughed as it faded away, taking the lights with it.

When he finally could exhale, he collapsed on the ground. His body was absolutely drained from the combined strain of his fear and flight. Was that thing actually gone? It did not feel like it… However, that did not mean very much. It could still be there, just waiting in the shadows for them to turn their backs.

"W-what was that thing…? Why was it chasing you? What were those lights?" Tucker then paused for a moment after his spastic string of questions as he looked at him carefully. "…Why are you here anyways?"

He chuckled weakly as he allowed his friends to help him up. "I could ask you the same thing." A wary sigh escaped him as he nervously glanced into the shadows. "I was hoping that I'd be able to run into you guys again… And then that thing appeared…. I… I honestly have no idea what it was."

"Hate to interrupt," Sam told him in a tone that was oddly mixed with sarcasm and irritation as she pointed in the direction of where they had seen the odd lights. "But… newsflash: there's something out there that's unknown and potentially dangerous. We should probably get out of here before it decides to come back." There was a silent agreement before the three of them sprinted as far away from the graveyard as they could.

…

"So… now what?" Tucker asked as they caught their breaths on a lit street corner several blocks away from the cemetery gates. It didn't seem like they had been followed by whatever it was that they had seen, but there was still an uneasy feeling lurking in the air.

"You're asking me?" he replied in near disbelief as he leaned against the light pole. "I still can't stand without help, let alone think straight! Great…how am I going to be able to get home and sneak back into the house like this?"

His words were met with a disbelieving look. "Wait… You snuck out, again? Do you seriously hate your house that much?" Even though they had just been scared out of their minds, Tucker had managed to calm down enough to joke. He wasn't sure if he found that relieving or insulting. Before he could make up his mind, Sam knocked his beret off. "What was that for?"

"Tucker, this isn't the time!" She scowled at him for a moment before she glanced over at Danny. "But, that does bring up a good point… Do you think that you'll be able to meet us here tomorrow?"

"Sure… " he replied hesitantly, "…as long as I'm able to get back into the house without being caught. Why?"

A strange expression appeared on her face, making him uneasy. "I don't like being scared. So, I'm gonna find whoever that was and teach them a lesson, and you two are going to help me do it?"

He and Tucker shared a look before they both asked, "We're going to help you do what?"

* * *

><p><em>This will probably be the fastest I ever get out a chapter for this fic (I had quite a to focus on writing this week). Like I had previously mentioned, this is not going to be released quickly. I start back to college on Monday, and there are some personal problems right now that may also effect the release time. So, please be patient with me.<em>

_Oh, and just in case anyone is unsure what I meant by "pyrrhic victory"…. It refers to an ancient battle where a general won at the cost of losing so many of his men that it was a victory in name only. We use it now to refer to a situation where you win something at the cost of losing something else of value. Some might cause it a win-lose situation. You can also compare it to a double-edged sword… but that's not an even analogy._

_Anyways, I do love feedback. So please, feel free to critique. _

_And, that's it for now. Goshi, signing off._


	3. Worries

Disclaimer: I own nothing! Well, nothing except a flashdrive that goes by the name of George.

_Quick note: I'm sorry if things seem a little slow at the moment. There's a lot of information that needs to be presented for later events. If all goes well, it should pick up a bit, beginning with this chapter and into the next. Anyways, onto the chapter!_

* * *

><p>Eidolon<br>3. Worries

"Sam… can you run this by me again?" he asked as he stopped searching for a moment and glanced at her. "What exactly are we looking for?"

Her response was a roll of the eyes. "I thought we went over this already… Don't you want to know what we saw last night?"

"I don't!" Tucker voiced, causing the two of them to look at him. "What? That thing was scary! For all we know, it could still be out here, and I for one, have no desire to see it again!"

"Why, aren't we brave?" The sarcasm in Sam's voice spoke volumes. In an almost immediate response, Tucker covered his head with his arms. Apparently, that tone was a verbal warning of the threat of pain. Sam could apparently be rather scary when she felt like it.

"Hey! Don't get mad at me! I just want to keep my good looks safe for the ladies! Besides, you're the one with the grudge!"

That answer just seemed to anger Sam more. "How selfish can you get? You don't even care that other people could be in danger?" Though it was true that she had sworn her vengeance on whatever they had seen, rational seemed to have come back to her in the hours after the chase. She currently just wanted to know who or what that was.

"I do… except, in my book, I come first! Besides, shouldn't this be a job for the police instead?"

"Like they're going to believe a couple of kids. We'll probably be the ones to get in trouble if we say anything. They only take it seriously if we find some kind of proof."

Danny stayed silent as he watched their fight continue. Sam did have a point; whatever it was that they had seen the night before could potentially be dangerous to anyone in the area. It also seemed unlikely that the police would believe them, since they would probably just pass it off as some kind of animal, which it definitely was not! However, he sided more with Tucker. If it wasn't for Sam's _persuasiveness (aka threats)_, there was no way that he would have come back to the cemetery for quite some time.

He glanced around the familiar surroundings and shivered slightly. It was only about one in the afternoon, but it felt like it was much later. The shadows appeared more pronounced, the statues looked corrupted, and the air seemed stale and heavy. It was almost as if that thing's presence had managed to taint the area.

Even though he really did not believe in the so-called paranormal, there was definitely something demonic about that creature. That thought caused him to sigh. He was being silly. There was probably a very logical explanation for what he and his friends had seen. It was probably just some drifter or psychopath… which is just as comforting.

In truth, he would rather just forget about the incident and chalk it up as a bizarre situation that he never wanted to ever deal with again. He had also made a promise to himself to never again sneak out of his house at night; being scared half to death was so not worth it. However, he had this sinking suspicion that Sam was going to make him break that. Speaking of which…

"What…?" he asked after he realized that she had asked him something. "Sorry, I wasn't listening."

"Jeez, Danny, get your head out of the clouds." Judging by her expression and the fact that Tucker was hiding rather poorly behind a nearby bush, they had stopped arguing for the time being. "I just wanted to know if you had managed to get home okay last night. I mean, you didn't get in trouble or anything, did you? I kinda forgot to ask earlier."

He frowned for a moment. "Surprisingly… no," he replied before giving them a sheepish grin. "I… uh… fell when I snuck back through my window. If you haven't already noticed, I'm kinda klutzy. Winston's use to that, but it's a little weird for me to fall at night. If he did wake up, I guess he assumed I fell off the bed again."

Sam shook her head. "Again…?"

"I don't do it often!" he replied in an embarrassed protest. "Just a couple times a year!"

"And that makes it so much better."

"Um, I don't mean to pry or anything," Tucker interrupted as he came over. Apparently, he now thought it was safe for him to come out of hiding, though he did make sure that he was out of Sam's punching range. "But, why do you call your dad by his first name?"

That question earned another sheepish look. "Well… um… I'm actually adopted. Winston's been my guardian for as long as I can remember. Apparently, my parents had asked him to take care of me if anything would happen to them…" He sounded wistful for a moment before he sat down on a nearby bench. Raising his head, he glanced at them while wearing an expression that was unreadable. "I… I really don't know what happened to them. Winston's not very comfortable with the topic."

After a small pause, Sam glared at Tucker, who cringed. "Tucker! How could you bring that up?" she demanded as she moved closer to him.

"Sorry!" He immediately backed away from her as he raised his hands again. "I didn't know!"

That caused Danny to chuckle, which caused both of them to look at him. "It's okay, really! I don't mind. Let's just go back to searching before Tucker gets hurt."

"Tucker likes that idea!"

Sam glared at the nervous boy for a moment before poked him in the chest, "Fine, but this doesn't mean that you're off the hook."

….

"Sam!" Tucker whined about an hour later. "Let's call it a day! We haven't found anything! And besides, we promised Danny yesterday that we'd show him around."

Once again, Danny agreed with him. There were definitely less boring activities than failing miserably at finding anything. They had found nothing! It was as if there was absolutely nothing to even suggest that there had even been something other than him in this part of the graveyard within the last day. It was definitely frustrating since there was a small part of him that did want proof that he hadn't just imagined last night. Even if Sam and Tucker had seen it, maybe it had been some weird group hallucination. He had heard those were possible.

Sam glanced around again and gave a frustrated huff before she kicked the ground. "I guess you're right… even if I don't want you to be. I guess we should lea… Hey, what's that?" She pointed at something before she sprinted over to whatever it was that she had seen.

He and Tucker shared a look before they followed her. By the time they had reached her, she had picked up what appeared to be a piece of paper and was examining it. Apparently, it contained either an image or word that was holding her interest.

"Um… Sam… what… oomf!" Danny's words were cut off when Sam shoved the paper into his hands. "What the heck?"

She glared at him while she impatiently tapped her foot. "Just look at it!"

After giving her a look, he complied. At first, the only thing that caught his attention was that he was holding a rather old piece of paper. That normally would not be too weird since littering was unfortunately common, but this paper wasn't just weathered, but it also had a strange feel as if it was more along the lines of canvas than actual paper. He then noticed that there were black marks on it, which he realized was a sketch of what appeared to be some sort of figure.

He turned the paper a bit to see if he could get a better feel for the picture. It appeared to be an ink sketch of what he took to be a demonic figure with… possibly flaming hair. After a moment, he also realized that there seemed to be writing on the top of the paper, but the letters were too faded for him to make out.

"So… what do you think?" Sam asked after he had handed the paper to Tucker.

"Not much," he replied with a shrug. "Sure, it's creepy enough, but I don't think it's related to this. Papers find their way here all the time. Possibly someone lost it out of their sketchbook a while back."

She just shook her head. "Danny, I tend to do a bit of sketching myself… That's not a type of paper, if it is paper, that you commonly use. In fact, I'm fairly certain that I've never seen it before."

"Sam, you're probably over thinking things. I really don't think that it's anything out of the ordinary," Tucker told her as he gave it back to her. He then glanced at Danny and grinned. "Although Sam's usually pretty level-headed, she sometimes lets her love of anything weird run away with her."

"Take that back!"

"In this case, I don't think I will."

"Would you still say that if you weren't standing behind me?" Danny asked as he tried to turn to get a look at his friend.

Tucker gave him a serious look. "Dude, have you seen her boots? They hurt! Oh… alright." After receiving another glare, he gave up on hiding and looked over at the still irritated goth. "If it will make you happy, I'll try to find some information on it when I get home. Though, to be absolutely honest, I'm fairly certain that picture's nothing more than the product of someone's deranged… oh, I mean artistic… mind."

Try as she might, Sam couldn't resist chuckling at his comment. "Thanks. If anyone could find something, it would be you."

"I'm glad you noticed."

"Sure, I noticed. It's your only redeeming quality."

"Hey!"

"Sorry to interrupt another one of your fights," he told them as he raised an eyebrow. Their "play" arguments were throwing him for a loop. How was it possible they were still friends if that happened as commonly as it seemed? "But, am I missing something?"

Sam laughed as she waved him off with her hand. "Don't mind us. Both of us keep forgetting that you don't know any of this yet. Although he might not look like it, Tucker's amazing with technology. I swear that he could honestly bring down a satellite with that PDA of his." She then glanced over at the boy who had brought out said PDA and had begun checking it in a strangely loving fashion. "I'm actually surprised that he didn't mention it yesterday. Perhaps he was trying not to scare you way."

After a moment she placed her hand on his shoulder. "Come on! We should leave now before he starts trying to induct you into his technologic world…"

xxxxx

The door slammed which let him know that his charge was finally home. If it was any other day, he would have actually gone to greet the boy, but this was not the case. He was currently stuck on the phone listening to someone who was irritating him more and more with each passing second. Even though he was usually a patient man, it was taking all of his self control to not raise his voice at her.

"Ma'am, I understand the consequences," he told the voice on the phone tiredly as he tried to wrap up the conversation, "But I assure you, that not only am I acting on his parents' wishes, but that I am also taking very good care of him."

What the woman said next absolutely enraged him. "That remains to be seen!" was his indigent reply. "Please reserve your judgments until you or one of your people come to do that review. Now, have a good day." The woman had tried to respond, but he cut her off by slamming the phone. Those people were so tiring, but that _one_ really knew what to say to get under his skin.

"Uh… is everything okay in here…?" Danny asked carefully as he appeared in the kitchen. His expression clearly said that he hoped that he was not in trouble.

Winston sighed and ran his hand through his hair as he sat down. "It's really nothing too important, just another call from the state. Apparently, they're now attempting to use scare tactics." He then looked at the boy and tried to smile, "So, how was your day?"

Danny shrugged as he too grabbed a seat. "Sam and Tucker showed me around town some more, and we hit the arcade for a bit before Tucker had to head home. We're going to try to get together again in a couple days."

"That's good…"

"Um… are you sure you're okay?"

He sighed as he looked up at the boy who seemed worried about the absent-minded response he had recieved. "Yeah… I guess I let them get to me more than I had thought. Anyways, how does pizza sound for dinner?"

"That sounds great!" Danny then got up and headed towards the hall. "I'm going to be in my room for a while."

"That's fine." Winston then got up and picked up the phone again. After calling the pizza place, he headed into the study and tried to relax.

Why was in the world was that man getting involved in this? He had heard the rumors that the man had begun to involve certain aspects of his many companies in some of the state cases, but until that call he did not believe that they were actually true. Due to the money that those companies held, it was going to much more difficult than he had originally thought to keep Danny. Not only that, but the head of those companies, Vlad Masters himself, had personally become interested.

According to that woman, he claimed to be a friend of Danny's parents. If that was the case, why didn't they ask him to take the boy? But, that was beside the point. Even though the man was well-respected, there was something that just did not sit right with Winston. Sure, he might be a business genius, but he had gained way too much power too quickly. There were rumors that those gains had not been made above the table, and Winston believed that they were true.

It was also known that the man was not above using underhanded tactics in court. If this case did end up going that far… there was no telling what that man might reveal. Danny's story was complicated, and even though he had done what was asked of him, it was unlikely that a jury would see it the same way, especially with how unbelievable the story really was. Most likely, Masters would corrupt the tale, making it even worse.

Then there was Danny to think about. While it's true that he had not be entirely forthcoming with what had actually happened, he had planned on revealing everything on his upcoming birthday. However, with the current mess, he was unsure what precisely to do. If he was to wait and the boy was told a corrupted story, it would most likely shatter his world. He could not let that happen, but he did not want to add stress to him, especially since there had been no indication it was true…

A sudden crash followed by a yell immediately got him out of his seat. That was….? What was that? He stood still for a moment trying to figure out from where the noise had originated when he realized that had been Danny's voice. Sure, the boy did have a tendency to trip, but there was no way that was normal.

He immediately ran to boy's room and opened the door. "Danny! Are you all right? I heard a crash!" He looked around expecting the boy to be near his chair or bed, but instead he was on the floor, plastered against the wall. His piercing blue eyes were wide and frightened.

Worried, he kneeled beside the boy, placed his hand on the boy's shoulder, and gently shook him. Unfortunately, he still did not get a response as Danny was still staring at something. His military instincts kicked in, causing him to tense and glance around the room looking for anything that was out of place. After a moment, he realized that nothing seemed out of the ordinary, but he still kept himself prepared potential surprise.

"Danny…" he whispered harshly to his charge as he continued to watch, "what happened?"

There was no sound until he heard Danny take a deep breath and move. He looked back to see the boy leaning his head against the wall. His breathing was still heavy, but it looked like the worst of the shock of whatever had happened was beginning to wear off. "Are you okay?" he asked cautiously as he glanced around again.

"Huh…?" the boy's voice was startled. Had he only just realized that he had come into the room? "Wh-what's going on?"

"Are you hurt?" he asked as he knelt down again. "Did something happen? Did you see something weird?"

At the last question, his charge tensed and glanced at his hand as if he was examining it. After a moment, he hesitantly looked back at him and shook his head. "I… I'm fine, but what's with the twenty questions?"

He raised an eyebrow at the boy. "Really? Daniel, I heard a crash and a yell from you. I was worried," he told him as he helped him to his feet. "Are you sure everything's okay?"

This time, he was answered with a nod. "I'm fine… I just … fell off the chair... and managed to knock some of the stuff off my desk…" Danny cringed slightly when he realized how weak sounding his excuse was. He then became more animated and began to push the older man towards the door. "I promise! I'm perfectly fine! N-nothing's wrong! Just give me a few minutes to clean up everything, and I'll be right out! The pizza's supposed to be here shortly, right?"

Before Winston even had a chance to attempt to get a word in, Danny shoved him out of the room and slammed to door. He remained there, a little stunned for a few moments. Whatever had happened definitely spooked the boy, it was probably nothing like he had said… but he could not help but wonder. A normal fall like that should not be so frightening.

He took another glance at the door before he headed back into the kitchen. Maybe he should watch the boy a little more closely, just in case.

* * *

><p><em>There are currently a lot of things going wrong at the moment… and I'm somewhat out of it. Writing helps keep my mind off of things… but I'm getting concerned that my current state of mind is starting to affect my work. Even though I do re-read everything I write, repeatedly, to make sure it flows smoothly and to catch errors, I'm no longer sure of myself. Please, let me know if this chapter is still at the same quality of the other chapters.<em>

_Also, I hope that none of you ever get a cramp in your thumb. It sucks!_

_And with that thought,  
><em>_Goshi signing off._


	4. Paper Trails

Disclaimer: What? DP, its characters, and Winston Wolfe don't belong to me. They belong to Butch Hartman and Hornswaggler, respectively.

Eidolon  
>4. Paper Trails<p>

Is it possible to truly call the mess someone creates in a desperate search for an object a natural disaster? If so, his study had come as close to the definition as humanly possible; books had been torn off their shelves, drawers had been removed and dumped on the floor, decorative items had been thrown haphazardly around the room and he was seriously debating on whether or not he should attempt to lift the furniture. He had, after all, already knocked over one of the end tables.

He just didn't understand it. The one time he needed that letter, it was absolutely nowhere to be found! But, that was what made it so strange… Unless he needed it, he kept it within a metal box that sat in the bottom drawer of his desk, right now, even the box was missing! How was he going to prove he had a valid claim to the issue at hand without it?

A noise took his thoughts away from his search. He glanced up to see Danny standing in the doorway, giving him a worried glance. "Uh… Winston, are you alright?" he asked cautiously as he carefully came in the room a few steps. "And you say my room's a mess…"

A sheepish grin crossed his face as he picked up his chair. "I'm fine… I'm just trying to find a paper I need for a meeting later tonight."

"Do… you need any help?"

"No, not really… I should be fine on my own." He then glanced at his young charge, who seemed to relax at the statement. He was confused for a moment until he realized the boy kept glancing at the clock that somehow still managed to be in its place on the wall. "That's right; you're going out today…"

Danny nodded as a relieved expression appeared on his face. "Yeah, I'm supposed to meet Sam and Tucker soon."

"Be careful, alright?"

"I know, I know…"

He sighed as he carefully stepped over his mess so he could put his hand on the boy's shoulder. "I can't help that I'm worried, especially after what happened on Sunday…"

At that statement, the boy violently knocked away his guardian's hand. "Nothing happened!" he nearly shouted. "How many times do I have to say that to you?"

Danny glared at him as he tried to figure out how to defuse the situation. Even though Danny denied anything happened, the actual problem was obviously something had. Winston knew Danny had experienced real fear on Sunday and whatever it was, it had to have been traumatic, or else his constant denials wouldn't make much sense. It worried him. What could possibly have scared the boy so much in his own home?

Something else bothering him was the fact Danny had gotten violently ill shortly after dinner that night. Although, it could have just been a delayed response (to the fear but), it really had seemed… well, almost random. The boy was shaking severely once he had gotten control of his stomach, and he seemed unusually cold to the touch. Now that he actually thought about it more, the shaking might have been actual shivers from being cold. That definitely wasn't normal, and if it wasn't for the fact that he had felt better the next morning, Winston would have taken him to the doctor's, which was something he tried to avoid.

"Danny…" he said slowly. Within how tense the boy was, he knew he had to be careful with his words. It would not help either of them if he unintentionally pushed him away. "All I'm asking is that you take it easy today. You might be fine, but it doesn't change the fact that I'm worried about you."

"Whatever," he huffed as he turned back towards the door. Although it wasn't the best response, it told him that, thankfully, there was no added stress to the shaky situation. "I have to get going."

Winston smiled as he turned back to the warzone that was formally his desk. "One thing before you go," he added as an afterthought. "I might not be home when you come back tonight. If you're not feeling well, don't hesitate to come back here. And, as long as you leave this room alone, you can bring your friends in if you like."

That caught the boy's attention. "Really?"

"Really. Have fun. I have to get back to this… uh, search…" A frown crossed his features as he glanced down at the mess. Again, how could a heavy metal box go missing?

He barely heard Danny's reply as he tried to figure out where he should search next. Time was running out, and there was still no sign of it. But, trying to search on sheer panic without a plan was not doing him any good. Although he did not want to, he decided to give himself a few moments to reorganize his thoughts.

The obvious place to restart was the desk, where it should have been in the first place. There had to be some sort of clue to what happened to it in there. Yet, as he looked, he happened to notice a folded piece of paper around the same area where the box had been. It was odd because he rarely, if ever, folded any of his paperwork, especially anything placed in that desk. What was even stranger was the fact it had his name written on it, almost like it was a letter. Curious, he opened it.

….

Time just seemed to stand still as he just stared at the letter. It… it had to be some type of sick joke! There was no way that that thing could possibly be in town, let alone have found a way into the house. He had kept track of reports from their previous hometown, and no one had seen it for years! There weren't even any reports from neighboring locations. It just disappeared after it had destroyed everything.

But, if it was in town, why was it here? Why was it targeting him? Wait… When it had first attacked all those years ago, it seemed to have a specific target… But, weren't they dead? Could it now be after…? "Oh, no…!" he whispered as he got up and sprinted towards the front door. "Danny!" he shouted as he tried to find some sort of evidence he was still in the house, but there wasn't any.

A glance at the clock told him that it had been some time since he had last spoken to the boy. How did he loose that much time? Even though Danny was probably nowhere nearby, he threw open the front door and tried calling for the boy again anyways. There was no answer, but that did not mean much. Danny was probably fine, but oblivious to the danger that had reemerged. It wasn't his fault either, Winston hadn't wanted to say anything about it until his upcoming birthday, but he was seriously regretting that decision now. That thing… that _monster_ could be stalking its prey at the moment.

Without a second though, he grabbed his keys and hurried to his car. Sure, there was that meeting he needed to attend, but that was going to have to be rescheduled. Danny's safety was far more important to him than trying to prove to a bunch of busybodies he had a right to take care of the boy.

And in truth, he wasn't too sure what he was going to when he finally managed to find Danny. Was he going to tell the boy what was wrong? Or, was, again, going to leave crucial information out? He would decide that later. Right now, his major concern was to just to make sure he was still okay.

xxxxxxx

"Uh… Dude, are you sure you're okay?" Tucker asked as he watched him finish his second pop in less than five minutes.

He gave his friend a sheepish grin as he debated on whether or not he was going to need another refill. "Yeah… as soon… as I can completely… catch my breath." Although he knew it was probably among the stupidest things he could have done, he ran all the way from his home to the Nasty Burger, which Tucker had promised tasted a lot better than it sounded. His little chat with Winston had taken surprisingly longer than he thought it would, which didn't help the fact he was already running late.

A chuckle from Sam caught his attention. "This wouldn't happen if you were in better shape…" Even if she was poking fun at him in a friendly way, the comment still got under his nerves a little. Sure, he wasn't the most muscular of people, but he certainly wasn't fat. So, instead of trying to say anything back to her, he decided to take the moment to get another refill.

"So, ignoring my problems," Danny told them a few minutes later as he sat back down. "Did you guys actually find out anything?"

"Surprisingly, I did… and I'm not too sure that it's a good thing. Here, take a look."

Ignoring the fact it seemed that Tucker's pockets held their own separate dimension since there was no way they were big enough to completely hold his PDA and his other gadgets, he glanced at the article currently on the machine's screen. Though it wasn't a very large article, the content seemed to be rather troubling. "Wh-what is this?" His voice was quiet as he looked at both of his friends for some sort of answer.

"Right now, I'm not too sure," Tucker replied as he took back his PDA. "There's really not much information on it, but from what I can tell, that picture is very similar to a series of sketches drawn a few hundred years ago. But the thing is, they were all drawn for (or by) this cult that seemed to worship demons."

He could feel his eyes widen in disbelief. "You… You're not serious, are you?"

"Unfortunately, that's not the worst of it," Sam continued as Tucker nodded solemnly. "It's a little obscure, but apparently that group was trying to create a specific demon-the one depicted on the drawing we found. There were really no details on how they planned on doing that, thank goodness, but there was some reference that it deals with some sort of curse…."

Now, that made him laugh, which caused his friends to stare at him. "A curse?" he asked as he calmed down a bit. "Don't you think that's a little much? You actually had me going for a bit."

"Danny, this isn't a laughing matter!" Sam nearly yelled as Tucker tried to keep her from standing up. "Whether or not this story is true is not the actual problem. The problem is we found something tied to a potentially dangerous occult belief right after you were chased by… whatever that thing was! Don't you see some sort of connection here?"

He snorted. "Sam, do you really think that whoever that guy was belongs to this cult and wanted to sacrifice me or something? Hasn't that sort of thing been proven to be nothing but an urban legend? Besides, finding that paper was probably nothing but a coincidence."

"Actually, I'm not too sure it is." Tucker's voice brought both he and Sam away from the staring match that had begun after he had finished speaking. "I mean, the information on that picture was hard to find, so I don't really think too many people would know about it."

"But, couldn't someone have just drawn that picture without really knowing about that story? Plenty of people are interested in the occult and other spooky stuff, so there's no telling what one of them might have come up with."

"I'd actually side with you, if it wasn't for the type of paper that it's on."

"What do you mean?"

Sam sighed rather impatiently. "Don't you remember what I said when we found it? Like it felt more like canvas? Well, I actually took it down to one of the art supply stores I occasionally go to hoping that they might have some idea what it was, but they didn't know! They told me that it didn't look like anything they had seen before… well, until the one said that it somewhat reminded him of animal leather, which really freaked me out. How could someone do that to an animal?"

From there, she quickly began to rant about animal cruelty until Tucker interrupted her by calling her name. After a moment, she realized what she was doing and adopted a sheepish expression. "Anyway," she continued, "the point here is that it's highly unlikely many people would be able to get their hands on that type of material, and since it did seem really old, maybe we do have something here."

Danny crossed his arms as he considered her words. "So, if there is a connection here, what do you suppose we do?" It wasn't really like he was completely convinced about this whole 'occult' story, but he was certain that there was some sort of deranged freak stalking his favorite haunt. That by itself was a cause for alarm.

"We could go to the police…"

"Please, Sam, If we go up to an officer and say 'Hey, when we were in the cemetery at night, we were chased by this creepy _thing_ that we think belongs to a demon-worshiping cult', he'll probably either laugh at us or check us for drug possession."

"It was just a suggestion, and I don't see you coming up with anything better!"

"Calm down! Do you want to draw attention to us?" Tucker warned them as he carefully glanced around the building. That act caused him to look around too, and indeed, there were a few people that had decided to look their way.

It really was the first time he had paid attention to the other people in the restaurant. Surprisingly, there were a lot of other teenagers there, and he guessed that the majority of them went to the same school as Sam and Tucker. For a moment, he felt a bit of jealousy towards them. For practically his entire life, he had been kept away from the world, and now that he could finally touch its fringes, he felt himself wanting more of it. In truth, he just didn't understand why his friends talked so badly about it.

Though he could probably ponder about it more, he pulled himself back into the argument that had now started between Sam and Tucker that did not seem to do anything with the unknown madman who was starting to make president in their lives.

xxxxxxxx

It was starting to grow dark, and Winston still had absolutely no idea where Danny could be. It was probably his fault, since until this particular moment; he hadn't seen the point of giving the boy anything like a cell phone. And, it didn't really help that part of his attention was drawn away by a rather annoying social worker that could not seem to understand he was trying to reschedule his appointment.

"For the last time, I will gladly reschedule for next week," he told the woman as civilly as he could. He knew that driving while speaking on his cell was not a smart move on his part, but he could honestly care less. Trying to find Danny was way more important than obeying any laws. "But, Ma'am, I was just alerted to a family emergency. Right now, that is more important to me than this meeting. Tomorrow, or even later tonight, if you want, I'll call you to fill you in on the situation, but right now, I need to go. Have a good night."

The tone in his voice seemed to finally get through to the woman, and she did agree that he could call later. Happy to finally be off the phone with her, he glanced down for a moment to slide his phone into a cup holder so that he could easily grab it later. When he looked back up, he immediately slammed on his breaks and turned the wheel.

His breathing was heavy as his car came to a stop. Thankful that there were no other vehicles on the street, he glanced over to see what the damage might be. Yet… there was nothing there! Confused, he got out of his car so that he could better survey the location.

It was so strange. He could have sworn that he had seen some sort of figure standing out in the road, but as he looked, there was absolutely no sign of any living thing. Even the buildings that were around him were broken down and empty. Now that he thought about it, how did he even get into this part of town? He didn't remember coming here… and it was unlikely that Danny would be in the area, especially if he was with friends…

A chill suddenly ran down his back, and he knew he was being watched. Now aware he was in an incredibly open position, he moved closer to his car. The most logical thing to do would be to get back into his car, quickly leave the area, and go back to his search, but something told him that _whatever_ was watching him would not let him escape so easily.

"It's been a long time, hasn't it?" a civilized voice asked in a way that made his blood run cold. He knew that voice; there was no way that he would ever have been able to forget it. Even though he didn't have to look to know it was there, but he did anyway. It would have made him face it eventually, so there was no use in trying to avoid it.

On a first glance, the average person would probably describe the figure floating above him as a vampire, and although there was a similarity, it was a wrong assumption. In fact, the creature was something anyone would never expect to be solid, appear in the daylight (even if it was fading), or even have the ability to hurt someone. It was a ghost.

* * *

><p>First and foremost, I'd like to thank both dragondaner123 and Rogue Alice for looking over this chapter. Both of them offered to be my Beta... and I'm too nice to say no...<p>

Anyways...

I'm sorry about the wait. Like I said before, I'm back in school now, so it's harder to get chapters out (especially when I have a test every week). Anyways, I have three things here:

1) Pop = soda. I am from south-western Pennsylvania, and we tend to say 'pop'. This might come up again, so I just wanted to put that translation out there.

2) When Danny says that sacrificial cults are an urban legend, that's supposedly true. According to US criminal history, while there have been murderous cults, there is no evidence of any sacrificial murders related to cults. Whether that's true or not, is up to debate, but that's the official standpoint in the US.

3) Since I like to be evil, I wanted to give you guys a little bit of a hint. The story that Sam and Tucker told Danny is important, but it shouldn't be taken at face value.


	5. Unexpected Meetings

Disclaimer: Do you really think that I could afford to own DP? Nope. I'm just a poor college student with nothing to her name.

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><p>Eidolon<br>5. Unexpected Meetings

Something didn't feel right. Winston never left the front door open or even unlocked when he was home let alone when he was out. Danny, hesitantly followed by his two friends, cautiously entered the house hoping nothing was wrong.

He peaked into the study where he had last seen his guardian, and although it still looked like a tornado had gone through it, no one was there. That, combined with the fact that the car was missing, told him that Winston had left the house in a hurry. It was possible that he had just gone to the meeting and locking the door slipped his mind, but he had never known Winston to ever do that; he was too cautious.

"Danny… did you find anything?" Tucker asked cautiously as he and Sam came to the door. "Whoa, what happened to this room?"

Danny looked back at his friends for a moment as he tried to step over the mess. "He was looking for something that I assume was pretty important when I left. Hold on a sec," he requested as he looked for a safe place to step, "he doesn't want people in here."

"Really?" Sam asked in an irritated tone.

"Hey, it was the only condition he had if I invited you over."

"You're concerned that something might have happened to Winston, yet you worry about that. It seems to me that you need to get your priorities in order."

He just shrugged as he continued to carefully make his way through the study. Everything looked practically the same, save for the mess, except for the random paper and an envelope that seemed really out of place on the desk. Curious, he grabbed them and made his way over towards the door.

"Wh-what is it?" Tucker asked after he showed them what he found.

"Letters…. I think," he replied as he got a better look at them. He was just about to open them when something fell in the kitchen. The three friends looked at each other for a moment before they started to creep towards the source of the noise.

When they rounded the corner, they saw a man mumbling to himself while picking up what appeared to be a cup. At first, he thought he could be a robber, but the more he looked at the man, the more he thought that was impossible. This man appeared to be around Winston's age and was wearing a suit. Unless this person was crazy, it seemed very unlikely that he was a robber.

"Hey!" he called out as he ignored his friends' warnings, which caused the unknown man to jump. He quickly regained himself. "I don't know who you are, but don't you know that breaking and entering is illegal?"

The man smiled in a manner which caused Danny to involuntarily shudder. There was something off about his expression. "I think that the term you want is unlawful entry, but it amounts to the same thing, I suppose," the man told him in a rather carefree manner. "Yet, I could say the same thing to you."

"Yeah, but I live here. You don't."

The man's eyes lit up for a moment with… hunger…? … which was almost instantly replaced with a more neutral expression. "Would that make you young Daniel then?"

"And, what if he is?" Sam asked, startling both of them as she and Tucker moved behind their friend.

The man examined the newcomers for a moment before he slapped himself in the forehead rather dramatically. "Oh dear me, where are my manners? I'm Vladimir Masters, and after your guardian called to reschedule his meeting due to an 'emergency', I was sent to make sure that everything was okay here. And, needless to say, that when I saw that the door was open, I was concerned and decided to take a look." He then raised an eyebrow after giving a quick look around. "Yet, I'm surprised to see that you're here without Mr. Wolfe."

"Wh-what do you mean 'emergency'?" he stuttered after the man had finished. "Everything was fine before I left…"

Before an answer could be given, Tucker gently pushed Danny back and glared at the older man. "I think a better question is: what is Vlad Masters, a billionaire and famous businessman, doing here?"

"He's what?" both Danny and Sam demanded at the same time.

Tucker looked at them in a rather surprised manner. "You seriously don't know? He's one of the most famous people in the world and one of the richest."

The three of them glanced back at the man, who was trying not to look too pleased with himself. "Ah, apparently I've made more of an impression on the world than I thought I did," he told them in an attempt to sound modest. "But, to answer your question, one of my companies is involved with custody battles, so I do hear about situations like this. While it's true that I usually don't personally get involved, your case, Daniel, interests me."

His eyes narrowed as he listened to the man. Something was feeling more off by the moment. "Why me?" he demanded. "What's so special about me that someone like you came here?"

Vlad's eyes widened in feigned shock at his words. "Surely, my boy, Winston would have said something about me to you. I mean, I was a good friend of your parents."

"Wait… you knew my parents?"

"Of course! We met each other in college and remained good friends afterwards. It was such a shame when I found out about their disappearance…" He paused for a moment and looked at the boy with a strange expression that he really didn't like. "In truth, if things would have gone the way that your parents had wanted, I would have become your legal guardian."

He would have become what? Danny was absolutely certain his parents, even if he didn't remember them, would never let him go with someone so creepy. Although his story sounded believable, there was something that he wasn't saying about the situation, and whatever this 'something' was, he was fairly certain he didn't want to hear it.

"Back up," Sam demanded of Vlad. "It almost sounds like your accusing Mr. Wolfe of illegally taking care of Danny."

"Is that what it sounds like?" Vlad asked her. Unlike the previous times he spoke, his voice dropped the pleasant tone he was using. "It would be a lie to say that I'm not displeased about how things have turned out, however as much as I hate to admit it, there is validity in his claim. If it wasn't for that blasted letter, we wouldn't be having this conversation."

HIs grip on the papers in his hand tightened. "What do you mean? What letter?"

Once again, Vlad gave the boy an appraising glance. "Apparently, he hasn't told you anything. No matter, within a couple weeks, it should be made clear, even if he still decides to keep you blissfully ignorant." He then glanced at his watch and sighed. "It looks like I've stayed here longer than I planned. I will call your guardian later tonight to see if the emergency, which you clearly have no knowledge of, has been solved." A nod of his head was all that he gave as a farewell before he exited the house.

…

"Well… that was certainly weird…" Tucker stated after Danny had made sure that the front door was locked and that Vlad was nowhere to be seen. "Is everything okay? And what was he talking about when he mentioned the 'custody battle'?"

He sighed as he walked into the family room and sat down on the couch. His friends followed him as they exchanged worried expressions. "He… Winston… told me that the state had lost some of my adoption papers," he said as he absentmindedly looked at the papers in his hands. "He had said that it wasn't that big of a deal even though the state would be coming to pay a visit. Yet… it suddenly sounds like it's so much more complicated…"

Sam gently touched his shoulder as she sat next to him, "It'll be okay. And, if worst comes to worst, I'll try to convince my parents to hire someone to defend you in court. Now that I think about it, they've mentioned that man before, and they really don't like him. If my dad won't do it for the 'good of the cause', he'll certainly do it to get back at Mr. Masters."

"Do… do you really mean that?" He gently smiled as she vehemently agreed. "Thanks, Sam."

Tucker coughed, which caused them to look at him rather awkwardly. "Sorry to interrupt your moment," he told them as he also sat down, "But I have another question, and it's really bothering me. When he said that Mr. Wolfe was keeping you 'blissfully ignorant' do you think that he meant the legal stuff or something else? 'Cause, I honestly think it was the 'something else'."

"You know, I've been wondering that too…" Sam agreed. "A lot of what he said made me think that he was referring to something that was more complicated than just a custody battle."

"And that's not complicated at all," he told her with the most sarcastic tone that he could muster.

She just rolled her eyes. "You know what I meant. It's like he has ulterior motives for not only visiting your house but for being involved in the legal stuff too."

He sighed as he tried to get make sense of the strange visit. For some strange reason, it just seemed like within a couple weeks his entire world decided to become a complicated mess, not even counting the paranormal events. Speaking of which… He glanced down at his hand that had begun to feel a bit weird. It was that same feeling that had occurred before _that_ event.

Worried, he quickly excused himself and ran to the bathroom. As he tried to lock the door, his hand passed right through the doorknob. No… it couldn't be! He stumbled backwards, hoping that he could back away from whatever was causing the problem, but it was to no avail.

Fear gripped him as he slid down the wall and stared at his hand. It was exactly how it looked the other day: a pale shadow of its former self. The only difference was this time was that part of his forearm was affected too. There was no way that he could pass it off as a dream this time either. What was he going to do about this? Heck, he didn't even know what _this_ was!

"Danny?" a voice called out after knocking on the door. It was Sam, and from what it sounded like, she was worried. Had he really be in here that long?

"Crap!" he whispered to himself as he stood up. The door wasn't locked, and there was no way that he was going to let either of his friends see what was happening. Yet, luck didn't seem to be on his side seeing as he fell before he could cross the small room.

"Danny?" Sam asked again. "Are you okay in there?"

"I'm f-fine!" he answered as he tried to stand, only to no avail. A glance at his legs told him why: the one had somehow managed to sink into the floor. "Okay… and now everything's ten times worse… Come on!" He tried pulling on his leg only to find that it was stuck. It just had to be a joke. There was no way that all of this was happening to him: it was just impossible.

"Sam, you can't go in there!" he heard Tucker warn their friend as the doorknob jiggled.

"Bite me!" she snapped back as the doorknob turned and the door opened.

For a moment, nothing was said as the three friends looked at each other and registered the impossible situation before them. "Um… this isn't what it looks like…?" Danny told them meekly before Tucker fainted.

xxxxxxxxxxx

Winston was not entirely sure what he should do. For the past half an hour, he had been having a stare down with an entity that he had been hoping that he would never have to see again. The reason was that it brought chaos and destruction everywhere it went, and it seemed to be after the last known surviving member of a family it personally tried to destroy over a decade ago. And, what made it worse was that he had no idea where that person was, even if he had seen him just before he had left the house.

Though, this staring contest felt off. The ghost that was floating not even fifty yards away seemed distracted as if it was waiting for something, and, from what he knew of it, this was incredibly unusual. In the past, although it did have a tendency to gloat on occasion, it tended to go straight towards its goal in a manner that showed careful planning. Yet, he knew that if he tried to get away, it would definitely stop him probably even before he managed to get back into his car. Oh did he wish that he had some of the Fenton's inventions with him, but with what the ghost had done, that was impossible now.

"I'm surprised, Plasmius" he said after a few more moments, hoping that he could possibly talk his way out of this, "you were never this statuesque before. What changed?"

The ghost looked at him carefully before it smiled carefully. "Oh, I assure you that nothing's changed. Do you really think so little of me to assume that I've lost my touch?"

"Then why keep me here? There's nothing that I have of value to you nor do I pose any threat!"

Plasmius' smile grew larger after he spoke, which sent chills down his spine. "Is that really the case?" it asked as it floated just a little closer. "Then tell me, how does the boy fare? If my calculations are correct, isn't it about time for him to come into his birthright?"

Winston felt his blood grow cold. So, all this time, it did know that he had custody of the boy, and not only that, it knew exactly where they lived. He had walked into a trap! It was just trying to get him away from Danny. How could he have been so stupid?

"And, where are we going? Hmm?" the ghost asked as it watched him move closer to his car. "You wouldn't be trying to head back to young Daniel, would you?" When the only answer it received was a glare, it chuckled. "Oh, you don't have to worry yet; I won't take him from you tonight. No, that would just be too easy and not as rewarding. Instead, I'll gain hold of him in a way that will not only humiliate you, but will also tear away his trust in you, if you continue to keep silent."

"You… you monster! There's no way that I'll ever let you do that!"

"Really? The signs have begun to appear, and if you're not careful, the shock of that change will be too much and he'll have no choice but to come with me." It then vanished only to appear inches from his face. "I mean, just today, his eyes turned this brilliant shade of green, the exact shade of ectoplasm, when my… associate… spoke with him not too long ago."

"Bastard!" Winston snarled as he tried to punch it in the face only to end up hitting his car instead. Laughter came from behind him, which only enraged him more. "What did you do to him?"

"Me? I haven't done a thing yet, but mark my words, I will get a hold of him. Just keep close watch on him for now, since you won't be able to for much longer. Ta!" With that final word, it once again vanished from site causing him to do spin around to attempt to find it. Yet, after a few moments it really seemed like it was gone for the time being.

He sighed in momentary relief that he managed to get out of the meeting unscathed. But, now that it made it clear that its goal was Danny, what was he supposed to do? With the current situation with the state, there was no way that he would be able to move, and on top of that, it appeared that the ghost somehow had the ability to track them. And, what had it meant when it mentioned an associate? There was just too much information to mull over from this meeting to understand it in the moment. He would have to wait until he got home… and hopefully, Danny had managed to find his way back already. If not, hopefully he'd head back soon. With that thing around, no place was safe for him.

….

"Danny…? Are you home yet?" he called out once he entered the house. There was no reply, but he did hear noises coming from one of the rooms. He called out again as he tried to figure out where they were coming from.

Suddenly, a figure emerged from one of the doorways. He was taken aback until he realized that it was just Danny's friend, Tucker. "Oh, you're home!" he said in a relieved voice. "We thought it might be that Vlad guy again…"

"Vlad guy…?" he repeated as looked around. "Wait, where's Danny?"

"Uh…" Winston stared at the boy as he tried to answer him. "He's… currently in the bathroom. Sam's with him. He… uh… isn't feeling well…" Worried, he quickly moved towards the bathroom, followed by a rather surprised Tucker.

"Danny?" he asked softly as he slowly entered the room. The scene he entered would have been comical if he wasn't so worried. Sam had been massaging his back but stopped abruptly as he entered and adopted an expression that was somewhere between embarrassment and normality. Danny was hanging over the side of the bathtub with a blanket draped over him. He weakly smiled as he looked at him before turning back towards the tub.

In that brief instant that Danny had looked at him, he had seen the boy's eyes turn green. So, the ghost hadn't lied about that. Maybe it really was happening… but, he would debate with himself over what to say to Danny, once he figured out how to help him get better.

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><p>Well, that was a surprisingly important chapter. Many hints at various things were mentioned, so remember that! Oh, and a few quick things that aren't really important, but I feel like they help with the details.<p>

1. For some reason, I picture the house that Winston and Danny live in as being a fairly decent size, like one of those more recently built homes (I currently am unsure how Winston affords it).

2. And for some reason, it just felt very appropriate that Tucker would faint when he saw that Danny's leg was stuck in the floor. And, it strikes me as hilarious.

3. The contents of the letters that Danny found should be reveled next chapter.

I'm going to try to get my next chapter out sometime in December, after finals. Right now, it's very unlikely that there will be another one this month (darn you BMST![aka CNS aka super insanely hard class]).

And, that's about it! Thanks again to dragondancer123, my wonderful Beta! And please, read and review. I honestly don't know if I'm doing a good job if you don't.

Peace out,  
>ayamari no Goshi<p> 


	6. Phone Call

Disclaimer: I own nothing, that is all.

Author's note: There is a lot of talking in this chapter, but it is mostly necessary talking. And, I do appologize about the itallics, but that's how I distinguish someone unseen on the phone from the character on which I'm focusing. And that's it, please enjoy!

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><p>Chapter 6<br>Phone Call

Winston was at a complete loss as to what to do. Though Danny was feeling better, he firmly denied anything strange happened before he started feeling ill. Worse, his friends had decided they were not going to leave for a while. After everything that had happened during the day, he really needed to talk to the boy. It was just he did not want company to hear… though, knowing Danny, he would probably tell his friends anyway.

His other problem involved trying to figure out just how much he should say. He knew he had to explain what happened to the boy's parents, it seemed to factor into both Masters' and Plasmius' involvement in the whole mess. But the other aspect, which held most of Plasmius' attention, was a touchy subject. Unfortunately, that would have to wait until a later time. Without Danny's acknowledgement, there was little that could be said.

He ran his hand through his hair while he continued to pace. Why did everything have to be so complicated?

A sound from the phone interrupted his contemplation. Irritated, he glared at the number and realized it was in his best interests to answer it. Blasted social services! They couldn't leave him alone for more than a few hours anymore. Though, in this case, he did deserve it. After taking a moment to calm himself, he answered the phone, expecting to hear the social worker from earlier in the day. Instead, he was shocked to discover the educated-sounding voice on the other end belonged to none other than _the_ Vlad Masters.

"_Hello! Is this Winston?_" he asked with a strange, almost false, enthusiasm. "_Splendid! I'm just calling to check in as I was informed earlier that you had to cancel a meeting with one of my representatives due to an emergency earlier today._"

Winston's eyes narrowed as he listened. "Sorry about that. I tried explaining to the woman that I'd gladly reschedule as it was imperative that I checked in on the situation. It was just as much as a shock to me as to everyone else." He paused for a moment. "You know, I wasn't told that the meeting was with one of your people."

"_What_?" The voice on the phone had the nerve to sound shocked. "_I could have sworn that you had been informed. I'll have to make note to talk to the office about that. Anyways, the meeting was supposed to go over the legal aspects of young Daniel's case._"

"Legal aspects? What 'legal aspects'? The courts decided years ago that I had full legal permission to take care of him! You honestly want to remove him from the place he's called home for the last twelve years?"

"_There's no need to get testy with me, now is there? Yes, you were given permission, but things have changed since then. That letter of yours was definitely written by the Fentons, but it's hardly a true legal document. So, I've decided to retry the case._"

"I hope you realize if it was considered fine back then, it most likely will have the same result now."Although he tried to sound civil, Winston could hear the growl lurking beneath. Just from the way Masters was talking, it was clear there was something abnormal about his interest in Danny. Not only that, but it just did not make sense the problem of a couple missing documents would turn into a potential court case so quickly. It seemed like Masters was doing his best to puppeteer everything to a favorable situation, which was starting to sound worrisome.

"…I'm also going to remind you, even though you probably already know this," he continued, not caring if Masters had something else to say. "It is unlikely that the courts will want to remove Danny from a home where he's been well-taken care of. Not only that, all of the proper paperwork has been turned in showing I've adopted him legally, other than the couple forms that have disappeared. It will just be easier for all parties to have me continue to take care of him."

A somewhat dark laugh answered him. "_Let's look at this piece by piece, shall we? Are you certain the boy's happy and healthy? Why, when I visited your house earlier today, he looked under the weather. Think of what the courts will think when he doesn't get better._"

"And are you insinuating that he won't?" he demanded. Silence was the only answer he received, though he could almost sense the smirk forming on Masters' face. "And what do you mean visited? You're telling me that you were here, in person?"

"_Oh yes. Though, I must say that Daniel was quite displeased to find me in your kitchen. He wasted no time in confronting me. Haven't you taught him not to talk to strangers?_"

Winston could just feel his blood pressure rising to the boiling point. "Y-you…! HOW DARE YOU! DO YOU HONESTLY THINK THAT YOUR MONEY GIVES YOU THE RIGHT TO BARGE INTO OTHER PEOPLE'S HOMES?"

"_Oh dear… It appears as if our conversation has turned a bit sour. Let's continue this on a different day, hmm?_"

It took nearly all of his willpower to calm down to the point where he was sure that he was not going to yell again. "Fine… but let me ask you this first: what is your interest in Danny? I know that someone like you rarely involves himself in the personal lives of other, especially those we aren't in your social class. So, why?"

"_Me? I'm simply trying to do what my two old friends requested of me before their deaths._"

"Forgive me if I don't believe that. And, what makes you think they're dead? No evidence has ever been found. I'd think as a friend, you'd be hoping for the best until proven otherwise."

"_Oh ho, more questions! And here I thought we were done._" There was a pause before another strange laugh came across the phone. "_But I'll indulge you one last time tonight. Though I'd love to be told that Maddie and Jack have been found, I know it's quite unlikely. It's been nearly thirteen years, and statistics have shown that the odds of a missing person surviving that long are so minute it's laughable._" He then paused for a moment before speaking again. "_Winston, as a… normally… reasonable man, so I implore you to think about this carefully. A court case will be messy and will probably drain you financially. Also, think about the boy's happiness. You're telling me that he wouldn't be happier in my care?_"

"From what I've heard over the phone, you sound like you view Danny more as an object than an actual person, so I doubt it," Winston snorted. "Mr. Masters, until that court date, stay away from my house and my family. Now, if you excuse me, I have some things that I have to attend to." He then slammed the phone down and breathed.

It had taken all of his willpower to not start cursing at the man. If he didn't trust the man before, he certainly didn't now. There had been something that had been left unsaid in the conversation, even if they had danced around the topic. Masters had made it sound earlier that Danny would remain ill, but with how angry he had been at the time, he hadn't bothered to press the subject. Was it possible that he knew about Danny's 'condition'? And, could he have been the associate that Plasmius mentioned?

Well… whether he was or wasn't, he still needed to talk to Danny. Without wasting another minute, he started towards the boy's room.

xxxxx

"Tucker, asking him the same question over and over is not helping!" Sam warned the boy while eyeing the PDA in his hand. From Danny's vantage point, he wasn't entirely sure if she making sure it wasn't going to be thrown or if she was thinking about swiping it.

"But... he's gotta know something!" Tucker's voice was panicky. Since his scare earlier, he had been trying to find a rational explanation for what had happened, but his efforts were failing miserably. However, it wasn't because he wasn't asking the right questions, but rather, Danny honestly did not have the answers.

He sighed as he watched Sam threaten to destroy the PDA in what he assumed was the wrong was to calm someone down. What was going on? Although he didn't want to admit it, this was similar to what happened on Sunday, though he hadn't gotten stuck that time. The best thing that he could come up with is that it was some weird sickness that was causing it. He really didn't want to say anything to Winston, especially since this was only the second time that this had happened.

But, although falling through solid objects was definitely strange, it was not the first odd occurrence he had experienced recently. There was that frightening encounter the previous week with that _thing_... "Hey, guys..." he said quietly as he tried to put his thoughts in order, "Do you think this could be related to that strange thing that chased us?"

Tucker looked confused for a moment while Sam just narrowed her eyes. "You mean the thing that appeared in the cemetery? Why would you think that?" she asked, dubious.

"Why'd you have to go and bring that up?" Tucker nearly choked. "I've been trying to forget about it!"

Danny allowed himself to smile at Tucker's reaction in spite of his concerns. "Well... nothing really strange started until that happened. Also, do you remember that it said something somewhat odd before it vanished? I think it was something like, 'Enjoy it while it lasts'."

"I remember that..." Sam told him as she looked at him curiously. "It was almost like it was saying that you weren't going to be around for much longer." A frown appeared on her face as she thought about it for a moment. "So... do you think he knew about this?"

"Or maybe it made this happen..."

"Great, just great! That's just what I need to hear! You don't think that thing scared me enough when we first saw it? Now you're giving it super powers!"

Unsure what to say, he just watched as Tucker's fearful exclamation turned into a full-blown rant that somehow seemed to jump from the fear of the unknown entity to worry that his precious PDA would be damaged back to the fact that people shouldn't be able to get their leg stuck in the floor. Although he knew he should probably stop him, it was probably better if he got it all out now. It would definitely make it easier to talk to him, once he calmed down either by his own volition or by Sam's.

However, he wasn't stopped by either things. Instead, a loud shout, which was probably more comparable to an enraged snarl, took all of them by surprised. Danny looked towards his door in shock. Winston almost never raised his voice like that, but when he did, usually it was not a good thing. He only hoped that he was not going to end up on the receiving end later on.

"Uh... was that...?" Tucker asked worriedly. It was almost as if he was afraid to finish the question.

He nodded and listened for a moment. It sounded like his guardian was on the phone with someone. "He doesn't lose his temper too often," he told his friends before donning a wry smile. "But when he does, I'd rather be facing that weird thing again."

...

It was a little later when a knock on his door interrupted his conversation. "Danny? May I come in?" Winston's voice called from behind it. Although Danny really did not want to deal with his guardian at that moment, he knew that it would be dangerous to refuse, especially after the outburst earlier.

After telling him that he could, Winston came in, and it was very clear that he had a lot on his mind. The man looked so worn and stressed, that he seemed to have aged at least ten years in a single night. Hopefully, that was just a temporary thing.

"Danny... I know that this is probably not the best time, but..." Winston's tone suddenly changed from pleasant to accusing. "Where did find those?"

He was definitely confused by the question, until Winston gestured towards the letters that were now on his end table. With everything that happened, he had completely forgotten about them. "Oh, those. I had found them in your study when I came home... "

"He was the only one who went inside though!" Tucker piped before anyone else had a chance to say something. "What?" he asked after Sam gave him a strange look. "I'm trying to save him from getting in trouble."

Danny was surprised when he watched Winston's suspicious glare change into a more amused expression. "You definitely have found some good friends."

"Actually, they found me," Danny corrected. After all, it was them who decided to go look for supposed ghost in the cemetery. That thought just amused him. Who in their right mind thought that he was a ghost?

"Would you mind handing me those?" Winston after allowing himself to take a set at the end of the bed. After being giving the letters, he seemed unsure of what to say. "Did... did you take a look at these?"

"No... After I found them, we ended up being distracted by that Masters guy... Oh, that's right, I... uh... forgot to mention that to you..." Even he could hear the nervousness in his voice. Random people being in the house without permission was somewhat important.

"I know... He was the one who called earlier, and he decided to let that slip..." There was a momentary pause before Winston looked at him with a very serious expression. "These letters both have something to do with what happened to your parents and part of what's happening now. And, it's about time that you knew."

Wait, was Winston really about to tell him what he thought he was? He wasn't too sure what to say until Sam made a noise, making him jump. For a moment, he had forgotten that his friends were still in the room.

"Uh... do you want us to leave... since this is a delicate subject and all?" she asked. From her expression, he could tell that she really didn't want to leave just yet.

"It's alright... I know that no matter what, you'll end up hearing the story anyways." Winston replied with a bit of a grin. "How to start this off...? Danny, back before you were born, your parents were actually making quite a name for themselves as scientists and inventors, focusing mostly on the field of parapsychology, which is how I ended up initially meeting them."

"Parapsychology? You mean like research on stuff like ghosts and psychic abilities?" Sam asked. It was clear that her interest was clearly peaked.

Winston nodded. "The very same, though they tended to focus more on what they referred to as ghost hunting. Anyways, it appears that some of their research caused a bit of a problem for them. Someone by the name of Plasmius... started taking a negative interest in your family. It's a bit unclear why, but shortly after you were born, Plasmius decided to, for lack of a better word, attack your family."

"Your parents seemed to know he was coming... and called me shortly before that attack happened. But, I got there too late. By that time, the house was a mess and your parents were... just gone! It's not entirely clear what happened to them. I searched the house for some clue, but it was as if they vanished into thin air. Yet, somehow, I was able to find you, Danny. You were unhurt and tucked away in a laundry basket of all things."

"Where... do the letters fit in?" he asked, unsure how everything was related.

"I'm getting to that. Now, according to your parents' will, a friend of theirs was supposed to take care of you if anything ended up happening to them. However, about a month before the attack, I was sent a letter from them that asked if I would be willing to take care of you instead." Holding up the one letter, he frowned as he examined it. "It looks like someone's been reading this... Anyways, although it's not a proper document, the courts seemed to view it as an updated but unofficial will. It caused a lot of problems for your parents' friend who seemed almost desperate to get a hold of you."

"I'm a bit confused..." Tucker interrupted. "Why didn't Danny's parents want their friend to take care of him?"

"It's not entirely clear..." Winston told them rather slowly as if he wasn't sure how to phrase what he wanted to say. "But, from what I understand, they seemed to suspect him of somehow being in league with Plasmius. After the problem with the court was settled, I moved us away from your old hometown, hoping that it would bring an end to the trouble... I was wrong. It... it appears that he past is trying to repeat itself. The second letter you found was from Plasmius, saying that he knew where we are. I was so shaken up... I went out to see if I could find you, but I ran into it... him instead... On top of that, Vlad Masters has gotten himself involved again... He thinks that he can win this time... It's such a mess."

There was just silence as Winston finished up. It was very clear that he was deeply troubled by the whole even, and Danny was just as lost. There was just so much information to sift through and try to understand, but something was sitting a little off. "'win this time'?" he repeated. "Do you mean that the guy that was in our house today was the same person my parents didn't want to take care of me?"

"The very same. I don't know exactly why he's so dead set on this. It could be related to Plasmius, or it could be a completely different matter. I don't know." Winston sighed for a moment before he looked directly into his charges eyes, making him nervous for some reason. "All I do know is that Plasmius is very dangerous and has some sort of interest in you." He then stood up and moved towards the door. "Be careful. I don't want to find out that the next time you disappear is because of him."

* * *

><p>Phew! That was a long chapter with a lot of information in it. I do appologize for not posting this earlier... but a visit to the hospital somewhat messed up my timing for this chapter. It's somewhat ironic too, since my other DP story is called 'Shock' and this will have been the 2nd time I've experienced clinical shock. Meh. Things happen.<p>

Enough about that!

I want to point out something... While this was being beta'ed, Dragon pointed out a couple things. The first was that since Vlad admitted he was in the house, they could call the police on him. Winston won't end up doing that 1) he knows that Vlad has a lot of money and a lot of influence, so it wouldn't be worth it and 2) it's unlikely that he'd be able to prove it on eye witness testimony as well.

Also, she mentioned that it was unlikely that Vlad would be able to try the case again since Winston has legally adopted Danny in this story. I'm actually happy that she did since I now have more inspirtation for upcoming events.

And, once again, a thank you to Dragondancer123 who is kind enough to look over my chapters! Things end up making so much more sense after she reads through it.

Until next time,  
>~Goshi<p> 


	7. First Confrontations

Disclaimer: Let's get this straight. I am not Butch Hartman, therefore I do not own Danny Phantom or the characters. Nor am I Hornswaggler, so I do not own Winston Wolfe either. The story itself? Yes, I will lay claim to that.

Author's notes: I noticed that I've been very vague with the timing of the story. To fix that, there's going to be a timeline at the end of this chapter to help out with that.

Chapter 7  
>First Confrontations<p>

It had been about two weeks since Danny had decided to visit the cemetery on his own. As he traveled the familiar paths, he constantly checked his surroundings for a sign of another's presence. Although he wasn't exactly, happy he felt that there was a need to check, it was better to play it safe. That creature had been there once after all, so who was to say that it would not appear again?

Without even realizing he had been aiming for it, he soon reached his favorite part of the grounds. A small stone terrace decorated with a couple benches sat neatly out of the way of both graves and the normal path. Since it was surrounded by trees, it was often easy to miss by visitors, assuring he would be able to think in peace for a while.

Words and images manufactured from hours of speculation kept swimming around his head. He tried to make sense of everything, but it just seemed to make his confusion worse. The puzzle of both his past and his parents' was not only vast, but complicated. It was likely it was possible to solve it; however he was pretty sure that there were several pieces that he still didn't have.

The new information about his unknown parents seemed to take precedence over any other thoughts. They had disappeared after being attacked, yet Winston had never actually said if they were still alive. Maybe his guardian withheld the information because of concern, or perhaps he didn't even know for sure. So, was it possible that they could still be out there somewhere? Wouldn't that be nice? But, he knew that it was incredibly unlikely just because of how much time had passed. Besides, he'd have absolutely no idea what he would say to them.

There was also the issue of the guy that had attacked his parents… Plasmius, or something like that. Winston seemed very hesitant to talk about him and had even danced around the subject once he had gotten a chance to ask him for details. Although he couldn't say for sure, it felt as if something big was being left out of the story, even if he had no idea what it could be. Was this Plasmius just an unorthodox researcher with some frightening ideas? Or was there more to it? Tucker had suggested that he could be some type of crazy arms dealer (though he personally didn't understand how weapons and paranormal science could mix).

Danny took a moment to both rest his mind and to attempt to figure out how to make his hand visible again. Shortly after his conversation with Winston, different parts of his body had seemingly begun to randomly disappear. The first time it happened, he had been trying to wash his face the one morning, only to realize that the wash cloth was seemingly floating in mid air. Although his hand reappeared only a few moments later, he was absolutely amazed that none of the neighbors called the police because of his regrettably very unmanly scream.

Since that initial incident, he was still no closer to understanding why it happened. It was possible that it was somehow related to the incidents where he fell through a solid object. However, he was currently unable to rationalize how that was possible. The only thing he could say was he was absolutely terrified of what it might be doing to his body, and what his friends might think if they happened to be unlucky enough to ever get to see it. That was why he had not contacted them in over a week.

He ran his hand through his hair as he sighed. No matter how much he tried to wrap his head around it, there was just too much he didn't know which prevented him from piecing everything together. Although he was definitely hesitant about contacting them, his friends, but talking to them over the phone would definitely help calm the chaotic storm in his mind, even if they couldn't contribute anything thing.

After glancing at his watch, he realized that Winston was probably going to be expecting him back home soon. As he got up off the bench, he inadvertently shuddered after a strange, almost breeze-like chill caressed his body which was almost immediately replaced by the feeling of being watched. "H-hello…?" he stammered, hoping that it was just his imagination. The last thing he needed at the moment was a repeat of what happened the last time he experienced this feeling.

"Okay… You're losing it," he told himself when nothing answered him. "There's nothing here except you and some dead people… Nothing to worry about… unless Amity Park has suddenly become Pittsburgh…"

"Zombies… How amusing. It always astounds me how the mind of a teenager can jump to such things."

Danny felt himself grow rigid as a sick sort of recognition ran through him. There was no way he could forget the sound of that voice, not after the terror he felt the last time he heard it. The chilling yet oddly sophisticated tone told him that whatever was speaking was definitely the very same creature he had encountered last time.

"W-who… what are you…?" he asked it, hoping he could possibly keep it occupied long enough for him to magically figure out a way to make an escape. The only problem was that he had this sinking suspicion it was smarter than him.

A strange and unnerving chuckle answered him. "I take it that you've heard of ghosts before, my boy?"

"So… you're telling me that you're a ghost…?" he asked slowly while he tried to figure out what was creepier: a disembodied voice talking about ghosts or it calling him 'my boy'.

"And you got it right on the first guess. I must say that I'm impressed."

His eyes narrowed as he tried to figure out where it might be. Sure he was definitely scared of it, but currently the anger at it actually questioning his intelligence was currently overriding his fear. "Are you just here to annoy me?" he snapped. "If so, you're really doing a good job."

"Oh, I assure you that I have more important things to do than to wound the pride of an adolescent," it told him with a flourish before its tone became one of hunger. "I'm here to take you away from this world."

He slowly began to back up. Its voice had originally had sounded like it was coming from terrace boundary, now seemed like it was coming from right in front of him. And, it definitely felt as if something was standing only a few feet away from him, even if he couldn't see it.

"Are you afraid?" it asked him it an amused tone. "You really shouldn't be. Daniel, you don't belong in this world. You never have."

"Wh-what do you mean?" The fear was present in his voice now, and there was nothing that he could do to attempt to hide it. He backed up until he felt tree bark pressing into his skin. Whatever this thing was, it had managed to corner him.

He glanced around desperately, hoping there was something he could do. However, his attempts stopped when he realized a figure was slowly starting to materialize out of the air. He could tell it was humanoid in shape, but the features were still too burry to make out.

Once again, the voice, which seemed to be coming from the slowly emerging figure, chuckled. "Oh come now Daniel, haven't you realized that you feel more comfortable among the dead than the living?" Apparently, it took the confused look on his face as a confirmation as it continued. "I've watched you for a while now. I know that you come here because it seems to call to you. It's the only place where you can connect with the other side, whether you realize it or not."

His focus turned away from the conversation as he noticed that the figure appeared to be reaching out for him. He batted the hand away, surprised when he felt the resistance of another person. With the realization there was something physical there, he tried to further push himself away from it, but instead of finding the resistance of the tree, it felt like he was suddenly stumbling through a wall of water. The next thing he knew, he was sitting on the ground facing the opposite side of the tree.

"Good… It looks like your powers are developing quite nicely." The creature's voice now seemed to contain a dark interest as it again moved closer, undeterred by what had happened. It's form, though still hazy, was now visible enough for Danny to clearly identify it as having more of a male build. "Though, they're still tied to your emotions, which won't do you much good at the moment."

"P-powers?" he almost choked as he tried scooting away from it, ignoring the fact that he now had a chance to run. "What are you talking about?"

"So Winston really hasn't told you anything. It's such a shame." For a moment it appeared that it would say something else, but tilted its head as if it was listening to something. "Your friends have remarkable timing," it told him in a tone that clearly expressed that it was not happy about the intrusion.

He had no idea what it meant until he heard a faint voice calling his name. "Sam?" he shouted back in a surprised terror. "Don't come closer! Get out of here!"

"DANNY?" Her voice sounded closer.

The creature chucked yet again. "Oh, don't worry, I can wait a little longer before I claim you. Just be prepared." The voice seemed to fade away along with the pale outline of whatever it really was.

As soon as he felt like the creature was truly gone, he breathed deeply in relief only to jump at the sounds of Sam finally reaching him. He had just enough time to look up at her before one of his arms decided that it no longer cared for the rigidity of the ground and sank right through it before getting stuck.

…

"So… where's Tucker…?" he asked in an attempt to strike up a conversation after he and Sam rather awkwardly started back towards the entrance. It was definitely a risk for him to speak as his stomach started to turn against him, which apparently was going to happen every time something weird happened. But, knowing that he had frightened one of his only friends was enough to get him to try.

She was silent for a moment before she spoke, making sure that she did not glance at him. "He's waiting near the entrance… He said that he was too frightened to go any further than that."

"Oh…"

He bit his lip as he tried to figure out something else to say. Sam had managed to handle seeing him try to free his foot from a floor quite well, but apparently watching how it had happened was a little too much for her. He wished that there was something that he could say that would help, but what could he say when he didn't even understand what was happening?

"Um… Danny…" He glanced over at her only to realize that she had stopped a few feet behind him. She was uncharacteristically playing with the hem of her skirt before she looked up at him with blazing eyes. "What's going on? Now I'm all for the weird and freaky, but even this is starting to get too weird, even for me!"

"Sam…" Before he could really say anything, she interrupted him.

"If you want me and Tucker to continue to be your friends, you've got to start explaining things! This is the second time that I've seen some part of your body get stuck into something solid. That's not normal no matter how you look at it! What are you? What was that thing? What's going on?"

"Do you think I know?" he snapped at her, causing her to stop her rant and stare at him. "If I knew what is happening to me, don't you think I would have said something after Tucker fainted?" Getting irritated was definitely not the best idea since his stomach decided to forcefully remind him that it was already upset with him. In an attempt to keep everything under control, he sat on the ground while resting his head on his knees. This illness thing was really starting to get on his nerves.

A hesitant touch caused him to glance up. Although it was very clear that she still felt uncomfortable, Sam had decided to come over and gently run his back in a somewhat apologetic attempt to make him feel better. "I'll wait until we get out of here before I ask anything else. You need time to feel better, and Tucker'll mentally need to prepare himself. I swear he can be so cowardly sometimes."

…

As he watched his friend try to find ways to rationalize what he was told of what had occurred in the graveyard, he grimly decided he would rather deal with attempting to escape from that creature… or ghost, if that's what it really was, than dealing with Tucker's spastic response to his fears. After meeting up with him at the entrance of the graveyard, they had relocated to Tucker's house to talk things over.

"So, you're telling me that this thing told you that not only do you not belong in 'this world' but that it was going to take you away too?" Tucker asked as he adjusted his glasses. "What's to say that it's not going to come after you while we're around?"

"That's what I've been trying to tell you," he sighed, for what felt like the thousandth time that day. "From what I understand, it could have very easily have taken me away earlier today, but instead it decided to leave when Sam appeared. It doesn't make much sense to me either, but I guess it would rather take me when there was no one around to watch…"

"But why?" Sam's tone made it clear that she held a great deal of skepticism about the motives of the creature. "I mean… I was the only other person around earlier, and it had plenty of time to take you and run, or fly, or whatever… you know what I mean… before I even managed to get a good look at either of you. There's just something that doesn't feel right about it."

Although Danny hadn't thought about it before, she had made a very valid point. That thing could have done anything it wanted with him, yet it decided to leave him alone again. There really seemed to be no logical reason for it. Well, no logical reason that he could come up with. For some reason, it just felt like it was somehow playing a game with him.

"Wait a minute, Sam! You actually saw this thing?" Tucker demanded, completely ignoring everything else that she had said. "What did it look like?"

She looked at him with a raised eyebrow for a moment before she spoke. "Why do you want to know? I thought that you were afraid of this thing…"

"I am, but I'd like to know what my doom looks like so that I have a better chance to be prepared."

"Tucker, we're dealing with something that's calling itself a ghost, meaning that it can become invisible. How is that going to help?"

For a second, he thought that the word 'ghost' was going to cause Tucker to go into another set of hysterics, but instead he smile rather broadly. "Well, if that's the case, than I guess I don't need to worry all that much."

"Wait a minute, you've been scared of this thing for two weeks and now it's suddenly fine? What's going on?" Danny asked after he shared a very confused glance with Sam.

Tucker gave them a rather surprised look before he started to look up something on his PDA. After mere seconds, he shoved it towards them so that they could get a glance at the article he pulled up. "I'm actually surprised that you haven't heard about this Sam, especially because of how interested you are in all things dark and creepy, but if that thing really is a ghost, then it's not going to leave its haunt."

"Wait, that's right!" Sam exclaimed after handing the PDA back to Tucker. "Ghosts tend to haunt places that have some sort of significance to them, and they're never seen anywhere else. So if that thing's haunt is the cemetery, then…"

"It's going to stay there…?" Danny asked with a little bit of uncertainty.

"EXACTLY!" Tucker nodded to himself, pleased that everyone now seemed to be on the same page. "That means that I don't have to worry about it. But… just in case… what did it look like?"

He just shook his head. "I… I'm not entirely sure."

"What do you mean you're not sure?"

"Um… well, it was almost like it was slowly coming into focus the whole time it was talking to me, and I was more focused on trying to escape than anything else…."

"You had to have seen something?"

The desperation in Tucker's voice made him try to revisit the encounter to see if anything in particular decided to stick out at him. "It… was about the size of a normal man," he said slowly after a moment, "and was wearing black gloves."

"And it had a cape," Sam added.

"It had a cape?" both he and Tucker asked rather incredulously.

She nodded. "That's really the only thing that I know I saw."

"Wait, you're telling me that this thing thinks that it's some sort of demonic superhero?" Tucker practically demanded.

"How should I know what it thinks? And what makes you say that?"

After that simple question, the three of them managed to somehow get into a rather complicated debate about the various superhero universes. Although it was completely off topic, it was definitely a very welcome distraction from the earlier events of the day.

Although he kept trying to push it from his mind, there was something that nagging him about the encounter. Sure, Tucker might be convinced that the self-proclaimed-ghost would not appear anywhere else other than the cemetery, but he wasn't as sure. All of the ghost stories he had heard had taught him that ghosts were not able to hurt the living, yet he was absolutely certain that if it had wanted to, it could have easily have killed him or Sam. Assuming that it had that sort of power made him wonder if it could throw the other 'rules' out of the window too.

The only problem was that he didn't have the necessary information about it though. Hopefully, he would never get a chance to learn it, but something told him that he wouldn't be that lucky. The only thing he could do was wait and see what happened in the upcoming days.

* * *

><p>Okay, there's a few notes for this chapter:<p>

1) Story timeline rundown:  
>Ch.1 Sat<br>Ch.2 Sat night  
>Ch. 3 Sun<br>Ch. 4 Wed afternoon  
>Ch. 5 Wed afternoon<br>Ch. 6 Wed night  
>Ch. 7 Sun (two weeks after chapter 3)<p>

The story starts in the 2nd week of September (the year is rather unnecessary to know). The reason is that this is what came to mind when I first started working on this, and that I have absolutely no idea when Danny's actual birth date (if there is an official one) really is.

2) Although there are some specifics that are certain, I'm still not entirely sure which direction I'm going to be taking the story and would love to hear any ideas that you, the readers, may have. So, if you're willing to share any, please don't hesitate to pm me.

3) My test schedule for this semester is absolutely frightening… and I am currently unsure if I'll be able to meet my one-chapter-per-month quota from Feb-April. I'll do my best, so please, don't give up on me.

4) If you don't get the Pittsburgh reference, it's okay. Pittsburgh's often called the zombie capital of the world because of how many zombie films have been made there.

5) And, last, but certainly not least, a big thank you to my beta, dragondancer123. Myself, like so many others, would be completely illiterate without her help.

And, that's it for now,  
>Goshi signing off<p> 


	8. Double Teamed

Disclaimer: While it has been said that Butch Hartman does not mind if his characters are used in fanfiction, I still want to make it perfectly clear that I do not own them.

Chapter 8  
>Double-teamed<p>

It had been an incredibly trying day, and Winston was more than glad to be home. Chaos greeted him as he walked into work and had remained until it the end of the day. His ears were still ringing from a rather vicious call from a mother claiming that the school was somehow brainwashing her child. Although it was quite possible that one of the teachers had said something questionable in class, he highly doubted that aliens were in any way involved. To make matters worse, he was forced to go to a meeting afterwards with one of Vlad's representatives, which ended up being far more problematic.

The representative as well as the state mediator (who had been sent to babysit them) explicitly told him that a date had been set for a hearing, and if the judge found that the accusations were valid, than Danny's case would go to court. It sounds simple enough, but Winston had no idea where Vlad had managed to get his so called evidence. Maltreatment of a child? That was preposterous! He had done the best that he could to take care of the boy, and although he was nowhere near perfect, he felt that Danny was growing up just fine. How Vlad managed to convince the state that there was a problem was beyond him.

What was even more surprising was learning that the date for the hearing was so soon, just after Danny's birthday. Due to how busy the U.S. court system could be, it could take months to years for a hearing to occur, let alone an actual case. Yet, he was going to have to deal with one in just a couple weeks. It was, for lack of a better word, uncanny. It was possible that there just happened to be an opening that particular day, but it was more likely that Vlad had somehow used him money to move up the date.

There was just something not right about the entire mess, and the more Winston thought about it the more he became convinced there was something else to the motives of the eccentric billionaire. When the representative called his boss during the meeting and mentioned when the date was, the man seemingly lost it. Although Winston could not make out any of the words, it was very clear that something about the date was in no ways appealing. It was also odd that Vlad had managed to convince the state of a possible problem with Danny's current situation. With there being no previous reports, complaints, or evidence it seemed utterly ridiculous that the state would have taken such a claim seriously, especially without having sent their own investigator out.

He also had a sinking suspicion that Vlad was somehow involved with Plasmius, but there was no way to prove it. The strange co-appearance of the two had strengthened previous misgivings that had been brought up by the letters the Fentons had sent him prior to their disappearance. But Vlad was too intelligent to have any dealings with a creature like Plasmius. They could be in contact through a second party, but that would be stretching it as well. There was also the fact that Vlad had alluded to having knowledge about what was currently plaguing Danny. If that was true, how would he have gotten that knowledge?

A throbbing pain interrupted his thoughts. The migraine he had been trying to ignore throughout the day was no longer manageable through willpower alone. As he searched the kitchen cabinets for some medicine that could take the bite out of the pain, he tried to push the previous thoughts from his mind. It was true that Vlad's motives did not seem to add up, but it was probably nothing more than the man's unusual nature. Paranoia and anger can be some of the best motivators of the imagination.

It was probably in his best interest to lie down once he managed to take the medicine, but he figured that he should at least try to get some idea of how he was going to break the news to Danny first. The boy had finally gotten out of the funk he had been in after being informed about what had happened to his parents with the help the apparent help of his friends. It had been their idea to have a sleepover tonight, since tomorrow was the start of the weekend, to help keep him in good spirits. Winston had been very glad that they had been worried enough to try and get through to him. Everything he had tried with the boy had failed miserably, and had been considering taking him to a psychiatrist if his closed off mood continued.

As he thought about it, he figured that it would probably be best to explain the situation fully once Danny returned home. He had tried to keep most of the details hidden as to not worry the boy, but with the severity of the current situation, the time for secrets was over. Danny was going to need to know exactly what to expect.

He sighed as he rubbed his forehead. His migraine was getting worse. After checking to make sure that all of the legal papers he was going to need within the next few days were organized, he decided to turn in for the night.

….

Getting to sleep was harder than Winston thought he would. His migraine prevented any position from being comfortable. After about twenty minutes, he had finally managed to start to doze when a strange noise caught his attention. Sitting bolt upright, he strained his ears for any further noise. The house seemed quite enough and his throbbing headache was a compelling enough reason to go back to sleep.

As he lay back down, a severe chill crept over his body. Knowing that the situation was quickly becoming dangerous, he slowly reached down to retrieve the gun that was hidden under the mattress.

"Do you really think that toy will be effective against me?"

He had rolled out of bed as soon as the voice had begun to speak. A moment later, he was standing with his gun trained on the specter. "Plasmius…." he hissed, "what do you want?"

The ghost smiled as it placed its hands behind its back. "Normally, I would say the boy, but he's currently not here at the moment, is he?"

"If you already knew that, why did you come?" Winston asked while trying to determine a possible escape route. Of course the ghost had placed itself between him and the door.

"It's simple, really," it told him with a flourish. "The current chain of events is moving a bit too slowly for my liking, so I'm speeding it up a bit by removing you from the equation."

Winston cocked the weapon in his hands as he readied himself for any sign of attack. "Sorry to burst your bubble," he told it as he slowly started to move towards the door, "but if I'm gone, Danny will just be sent to Vlad Masters. And believe me when I tell you that the man has the money to get what's needed to keep you away."

An amused laugh answered him. Winton eyed the specter carefully as he asked, "What's so funny?"

"Because that's exactly what I want to happen," it replied as it suddenly fired a plasma ray at him.

He barely managed to dodge, and by the time he had caught himself, another blast was coming his way. The strange cool but burning energy sent him flying backwards into the wall when it hit. After sliding down the wall, he glanced up at his attacker. "I don't understand," he told it as he winced. The attack had done some damage to his ribs.

It laughed again as it approached him. "With as intelligent as you are surely you've noticed that there's some sort of connection between myself and Masters. Only, it's far more complicated than you think it is." As it spoke, a strange black ring of energy came into existence around its waist before it split. Both halves of the ring traveling along both halves of its body as it melded its appearance into that of Vlad Masters. "Ta da. It's a handy little trick, don't you think?"

Winston had seen a great deal during the course of his life, especially after having served in the military, but not even that had prepared him for such a shocking event. "Wh-what are you?" he stuttered.

"Me?" the billionaire asked with faked surprise. "I'm the same as young Daniel is… or I should say will be once his birthday comes around."

It suddenly became apparent to Winston why Vlad had been so angry during the phone call earlier. The hearing would fall after Danny's birthday… after he became… He didn't even want to think about it.

"Did you know that Jack and Maddie had gone into the field of paranormal studies in order to find a cure for their son's 'aliment' years before he was even conceived?" Vlad gave him a disgusted look as he… it began to pace. "They knew what a child of theirs could end up being, but they failed to see the truth of the matter… The boy would be given gifts that no human could ever dream of understanding. So, I did the boy a favor and got rid of them. But, unbeknownst to me at the time, they had thrown a wrench into my plans, _you_!" It glared at him as the black rings formed again and returned it to its proper appearance. "But after tonight, that's not going to matter anymore."

"And I say that it's not going to be as easy as you think, you crazed-up fruit loop!" he shouted as he raised his gun, stared into those crimson eyes, and fired.

xxxxxxxxxxx

"Guys, after everything that's happened, do you really think it's a good idea for us to be out, in the park, alone, at night?" Tucker asked as he followed behind him and Sam. His voice betrayed just how frightened he was.

Sam just rolled her eyes as she continued to walk. "Wasn't it you who said that the ghost couldn't leave its haunt?"

"Well, yeah… but…"

"But what? Come on and live a little!"

Danny smiled as he watched his two friends argue. Although he too was a little wary about being alone, he figured that nothing too bad could happen to them. Ignoring the ghost that appeared on Wednesday, Amity Park was usually a very safe place to live, even at night.

It was Sam who managed to once again convince them to come out at night. Though, this time, he wasn't exactly sure if it was to talk privately or just to get away from her parents. She had decided to have a sleepover at her house because she thought that they were out of town, but something had prevented them from going. He couldn't forget the look of horror she wore when they entered her impressively large house to find them waiting for her. In a way, it was apparent why she didn't like them too much; they were dressed very brightly and had an unusually sunny disposition making them the complete opposite of their daughter. After having dragged himself and Tucker into her room, she apologized, much to his surprise.

"So Danny," Sam said suddenly, catching his attention, "have you heard anything new about what's going on with your case?"

"No, not really… Winston had mentioned on the phone earlier that he was supposed to be going to a meeting for it today. I guess I'll find out tomorrow if anything happened," he replied with a shrug while trying to keep his voice neutral. Winston had kept saying that everything was fine, but a worried expression seemed to be appearing on his face more and more after getting off of the phone with anyone who had anything to do with the case.

"Well, that's good, isn't it?" Tucker asked, his voice betraying a strange mixture of hope and concern.

Danny shrugged and continued walking. Although it concerned him, without having a lot of information, he couldn't get too worked up about it. "So, pushing that aside, what's going on in the realm of the normal?" Little did he know how much trouble he would get into by Sam from just using the word 'normal'.

….

After a few hours of walking around the park and having Tucker continue to complain, the three of them decided to return to Sam's house. Although he couldn't be certain, he was fairly sure that it was after midnight. There was just something about the silence combined with the lack of cars or other people that suggested it.

There was something about the night that was concerning him. Perhaps it was the paranoia of everything else that had happened weighing down on him, but the shadows seemed to be darker and more defined than usual. The feeling of being watched was also present, though this time, he was unable to see any movement.

A cold chill ran through his body. Thinking it was just the wind, he hugged himself hoping to gain a little more warmth as they walked. "Dude, are you okay?" Tucker asked, surprising him.

"Yeah," he replied as he tried not to let his teeth chatter. "I'm just a little cold." His friends looked like they were about to shrug it off until he and they noticed that his breath was slowly becoming visible. He stared at the misty vapor as it formed for a moment before disappearing. Had it really gotten that cold?

After sharing a look, both Sam and Tucker grabbed his arms and began marching, for a better lack of a word, towards the entrance of the park. "Guys, stop! What's wrong with you?" he demanded as he yanked his arms out of their grip.

"Um, Danny, I don't know if you've noticed, but every time something weird happens to you, something weirder happens," Sam told him.

"And after hearing about what happened last time, I really don't want to be around when it does," Tucker continued.

He just stared at them. "What do you mean weird? It's just cold out here!"

"That's the thing. It's not the temperature that's cold, it's actually you," Sam tried to explain. "I don't know what it is, but you're skin's like ice, and I'm fairly certain that you weren't like that earlier."

Danny frowned as he looked at his hands. How was that even possible?

"Anyways," Sam told him with an uncertain tone as she gave him a slight push, "let's get you back to my house so that we can get you a blanket. No matter what other weird stuff is going on with you, it is probably not a good idea for you to continue to be that cold."

He grudgingly agreed and allowed himself to follow his friends. An uncomfortable silence fell between them as they walked, which really began to grate on his nerves. Okay, so he was cold. That was a problem how? Not all that strange. Falling through solid objects, on the other hand? That was a completely different matter.

As they approached the street a high pitched whine disturbed the night. He had just enough time after noticing the initial flash of light to make some sort of noise and tackle both of his friends to the ground. The sharp vibrations that followed verified his initial fears.

"What was that for?" Sam demanded as she pushed him off of her.

"You're welcome," he replied sarcastically as he stood up and glanced around. Something told him that was just the opening for something much larger.

"Um, guys…" A hand was tugging on his pant leg. Glancing down, he saw Tucker pointing at something. The boy's face was as white as a sheet, which was rather impressive for how dark his natural skin color was. Danny allowed himself to take a look and gasped. Where the three of them had been standing only moments before, the ground was warped and destroyed. Whatever that light had been, it was certainly strong and dangerous. He did not want to think about what could have happened if they hadn't moved.

The feeling of being grabbed startled him, but he quickly learned it was just Tucker using him as leverage to help stand back up. "What… what was that?" His voice was little more than a frightened squeak.

Danny did not replay immediately. Inwardly cursing that there weren't more lights in the park, he tried to find any sign of where the source could have been. There was absolutely nothing! No shadow, no further noise; just an eerie silence that was only broken by the sound of breathing. "I-I'm not sure…" he told his friends hesitantly as he turned back towards them. "But, we need to get out of here… Wait… what was that?"

A strange noise had broken through the silence and was quickly becoming louder. It was difficult to place what it could be, but it definitely had a metallic sound to it. But there was an unusual sort of hitching within the sound, which almost made it seem like it was laughing.

"Come on!" Sam's sharp tone brought him back to reality as she again tried pulling on him and Tucker. "I really don't think that we want to be around when that thing shows itself." She had just managed to get them moving again when another blast hit nearby sending them back to the ground.

He must have hit the ground pretty hard because the next thing he knew, Tucker was trying to shake him awake. "I'm okay…" Danny told his friend as he tried to push himself up. As he did, he could feel something wet beginning to run down his face. Great, he was bleeding, but he was going to have to push that aside, escaping was far more important.

After a few more heart pounding moments, the three of them had managed to get to the outskirts of the park. Taking a hesitant breather, they scanned the area hoping that they were free of whatever had just attacked them.

Thankful for the temporary break, Danny took the chance to wipe the blood off his face and out of his eye. If he was going to have to run again, he really did not want any other distractions. Grimacing at the sight of his blood covered hand, he realized that he was going to get the cut taken care of as soon as possible. He was also going to have to figure out what else had managed to get on his face. Although it was faint, there was an odd looking green color that had gotten mixed into it.

"Danny! Behind you!"

The fear in Sam's voice was nothing like he had ever heard before. Startled, he turned to see what was wrong and found himself face to face with the barrel of a gun.

"I have you now, ghost child."

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><p>Author's note: It's been a while since I've last updated, I know. Between school and an anime convention, my time's been non-existent.<p>

Just please let me know what you thought about this chapter. Was it the same quality as the last one? Better? Worse?

And, I must extend my thank yous to Dragondancer123. If it wasn't for her, there'd be no way that I could complete this task on my own.


	9. Shattered Impressions

Disclaimer: I own nothing DP related! I don't even own Winston Wolfe (he belongs to Hornswaggler). What I do own are several flashdrives that love to go missing...

Author note: Sigh. I was hoping I could have finished this chapter and posted it in April... which clearly did not happen. If you haven't guessed, college is evil and time consuming. Well, that's enough of me rambling. Enjoy chapter 9!

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><p>Eidolon<br>9. Shattered Impressions

"I have you now, Ghost Child."

Panic began to set in as Danny tried to rationalize the scene in front of him. A strange gun -which looked incredibly dangerous - was no more than a couple of inches away from his head. It seemed to be connected to the arm of what was best described as a very large metallic man, a robot maybe, which had a flaming green mohawk. If the situation did not look so bad, he probably would have made some sort of comment about its choice of 'hair'.

"You're puny," it told him after it used the muzzle of the gun to lift his chin, forcing him to look at its face. Danny was more than a little surprised to find its voice sounded relatively normal. There was no metallic interference. "It's hard to imagine you have the sort of power my employer thinks you do."

As he continued to nervously look the being in the eyes, he prayed for a distraction, anything that would take its attention away just long enough for him to escape from the gun's cool metal. With each passing moment, he was becoming more and more aware of how close it was to his neck. If the robot decided it was going to fire, there would be no escape.

"Interesting…" The unfamiliar voice of his captor caught his attention. Instead of focusing on him, it was now absorbed with something on its arm. A computer? No, that wouldn't make any sense. Why would a robot need a computer? Shouldn't it be able to do all its thinking, or whatever, in its head?

As if it knew he was staring, the robot turned away from its arm and gave him an evil grin. "My scanners indicate you certainly have the potential. Although my employer wants you alive, there's nothing in my contract that says I can't test your worth first." It stepped back as the gun on its arm began to whine as it raised the weapon to the level of his head. "Let the games begin!"

Until that moment in time, Danny never believed the stories of how time seemed to slow in life threatening situations. Knowing what was going to happen yet unable to turn away, he watched as a light from inside the barrel appeared. He could hear his heart pounding in his ears, alerting him to the danger and yet blocking out any other noise.

The force of an impact and a face full of dirt brought him back to the fast-paced world as a blast sounded from somewhere of to the side. Confused and not entirely sure if he was still alive, he glanced around and immediately caught the glare of an incredibly angry goth girl. "What do you think you're doing?" she demanded as she pulled him off the ground. "If you didn't notice, that thing was aiming at your head!"

Still puzzled as to how he had fallen in the first place combined with resurfacing memories of the danger, he couldn't give her an answer as she began to lead him, as fast as possible, away from the danger. Although he was vaguely aware of Tucker was running beside them and the robot-thing was somehow chasing them from the air, nothing else was registering; even the explosions occurring at a faster and faster rate behind them, causing them to stumble and trip as they ran.

…

He wasn't sure how long they had been running, nor did he know exactly where they were. Looking around, he found himself in a small, dirty, and poorly lit alleyway which suggested to him that they were now in a rougher part of town. He had heard stories about places like this, Winston loved to scare him with those stories when he was younger, and hoped that this particular one would receive no other visitors. Though it was true he would rather deal with an actual person than the flying monstrosity they had hopefully lost, neither were welcome thoughts.

He glanced at his friends who were using the moment to catch their breaths. Tucker was sprawled out on the ground, seemingly too tired to do much else. Sam on the other hand, was still standing. It was clear she was just as tired as Tucker, but her alert posture told him she was not about to let her guard down. Danny couldn't blame her. Whatever had been chasing them had the ability to kill.

Why had it come after them –him- in the first place? Didn't the robot-thingy call him a ghost? Why? Weren't ghosts the spirits of those who had passed from life and had come back for one reason or another? He wasn't dead. The dried blood on his face from his cut was his proof. Someone who was dead couldn't bleed, right? Yet, the thing, the actual ghost, which had cornered him in the cemetery, said something similar. Hadn't it said he did not belong in 'this world' and he felt the call of the 'other side'?

He shook his head as he tried to push his thoughts away. With the situation at hand, there were more important concerns that required his attention.

"Hey, are you alright?" Tucker asked, causing Danny to jump.

"Huh? Yeah…" Danny rubbed his neck in embarrassment as he glanced at his friends. "Sorry, I was just thinking… Are you guys okay?" There was no immediate answer, which worried him. There was something off in the expressions of his two friends. It almost seemed like they weren't sure who he was. "Guys… you're starting to freak me out. What's wrong? Did I do something?"

"Danny… we're your friends, right?" There was a hesitance in Tucker's voice as he spoke. If Danny didn't know any better, it almost seemed as if the other boy was carefully choosing his words.

He had a feeling he was not going to like where the conversation was heading when he cautiously replied. "Yeah… But what's that got to do with anything?"

"Are you stupid or something?" Sam yelled, causing him to flinch. Now that her anger was completely directed at him, he understood why Tucker was afraid of her. "Danny, if we really are your friends then we have a right to know what's going on, especially if we might end up in danger. Now spill it! What was that thing? What does it want with you? What are you?"

His cautious confusion began to change into anger as he returned her glare. "Is that's what's wrong? Here I thought someone might have been hurt. Look, like I told you the last time, I have no idea what's going on! I've never even seen that thing before tonight, so how was I to know it had a vendetta against me?"

His expression softened after he finished. His outburst was enough to stem his anger, allowing him to relax just enough to plop down on the ground. He allowed himself to rest his arms on his knees before he spoke again. "I don't know how else to explain this to you… All of this craziness started a few weeks ago. Now that I think about it... Everything seemed to start right around the time I met you two…:"

"So you're saying this is our fault?"

Catching the warning tone in her voice, Danny held up his hands, hoping the gesture would prevent her from attacking him. "What? No! I'm not saying that at all! It's just it seemed to be the starting point of everything. Until then, I was perfectly normal."

"Normal? We were just chased and attacked by a flying metal robot! How is that normal?" As she spoke, Sam kept moving closer to where Danny was seated, and although he tried to scoot away from her, she reached down and grabbed him by the shirt. Knowing it was not a good idea to try and fight her, he allowed her to pull him up without a struggle. Her violet eyes bore into his icy blue ones as she continued to speak, almost daring him to do say something that would put her even further over the edge. "I don't know what's going on in your little world, Danny, but it's certainly anything but normal. Here we don't periodically fall through solid objects. Here we don't get chased by flying robots! Here people get exhausted when they are forced to run for their lives for fifteen minutes. Here we don't have people whose blood is two entirely different colors. Here…"

Danny pulled away as he cut her off. "Whoa, back up a minute. Different color blood? Where did that come from?"

"You're serious?" An incredulous expression crossed Sam's face.

"Yes, I'm serious."

"Sam, I'll take care of it," Tucker's voice was soft as he placed a hand cautiously on her shoulder. Although it was clear she was not done with her rant, Sam relented. Giving himself a moment to compose himself, Tucker sighed and adjusted his beret before he looked back over at Danny.

"Sam and I noticed it after we ran out of the park after the initial attack," Tucker told him as he warily locked eyes with him. "You had a cut above your eye, and at first I thought grass had gotten stuck to your face due to the blood and because you fell, but I realized that just didn't seem right. The green stuff was an unnatural color and seemed to be dripping down along with the regular blood. I'm surprised you didn't notice it."

Feeling uneasy, Danny reached up to touch the, thankfully, closed wound. He had thought those types of head injuries were supposed to bleed a lot… Maybe he hadn't been injured as badly as he initially thought. But, he still needed to test what his friends had said. Taking care to not completely reopen the cut, he carefully rubbed the fresh scab until he felt a trickle start to run down his face.

When he pulled his hand away, he was mortified by what it revealed. Blood is supposed to be a red so vivid that few natural colors can match it. There should not be any other color seen until it starts to dry, especially not a toxic, glowing green.

What was this stuff? It seemed to have the same consistency as his natural blood, but what would make it that color? Nothing came to mind as he watched the multi-colored liquid begin to mix into an ugly brown as it began to dry. Concerned, he used the back of his hand to wipe the injury above his eye, and once again, he pulled it back to find the same odd mix of colors.

He tried to say something as he frantically tried to get the foreign substance off his hand, but nothing intelligent came. The green stuff hadn't been there the previous week; he had fallen and scraped his knee pretty badly. He would have noticed a weird green tinge… so what changed? What was happening to him?

"So… I take this as an 'I didn't know'," Tucker stated as he watched Danny fall back to the ground as he continued to stare at his hand.

"I-I don't understand…" Danny's voice was nothing but a horrified whisper. "What am I turning into…?"

xxxxxx

"Sam, I don't think you can argue with that…" Tucker told her as the two of them watched their friend begin to shake as he wrapped his arms around himself, perhaps to give himself some sort of comfort. "You can't fake that kind of fear…"

"Oh, and you're suddenly the expert on that?" Sam snapped at him as she continued to watch the boy on the ground. Nothing about this made any sense, and it hadn't even since she had seen him get his leg stuck in the floor of his house. Whatever was happening to the boy was not possible, and the possibilities of the impossible were scaring her. Usually she was fine with the dark and morbid fantasies that frequented her mind, but they were far less appealing when they applied to the possible monster she had thought was her friend.

Momentary confusion caused her to glance over at Tucker as an unusual thought came to the forefront of her mind. "You know, you seem surprisingly okay with this," she told him carefully while watching his expression. "I would have thought you would have run screaming and not looked back a while ago…"

"Really? And here I would think that you'd be handling this sort of weirdness better than me. I mean, it is sort of your thing," he replied with a smirk. Although Sam was somewhat put off by it, she had to agree with him. Tucker's expression once again became serious as he looked back at Danny who had not moved. "I don't know what's going on… and you have no idea how badly that metal thing scared me earlier, but I don't think how I feel can even compare to how Danny does. And, even though I might regret this, I'm going to stick with him."

"But…"

"Sam, he's your friend too," Tucker interrupted as an uncharacteristic note of anger colored his voice. "I think your problem is you don't want to admit you're also scared."

She was going to argue back when she realized he was absolutely right. She was afraid, and if there was one think she couldn't stand above all else was her being afraid. Danny had never hurt her, and his expression had clearly told her every time he had denied having any information about the strange happening he was not lying. She had just wanted to pin the blame on him since there was no other outlet.

Not wanting to admit she was at fault, she slowly moved towards Danny and cautiously placed her hand on his shoulder. He jumped as he looked up at her. His eyes, that strange and unique crystal blue, briefly showed her the chaos and terror lurking beneath the surface before he seemed to regain himself. "Come on," she told him softly as she offered to help him up. "We need to head back to my house… My parents might have noticed we're gone." Danny did little more than nod as he accepted her hand.

"Do you really think it's safe? What if that thing is still around and follows us back?" Tucker asked her as he pulled out his PDA. She was actually surprised it had taken him so long to do so; usually he couldn't last a minute without it.

She gave him a troubled look. "Do you have any better ideas? We can't stay out here."

"Point taken… Well… according to my PDA, we've got a while to go before we can get back. All that running we did really got us off track…"

"Alright, we better hurry then. The faster we get back, the better."

"As long as we don't run, that's all fine and dandy." Sam sent a glare at Tucker, which he countered with mock version of his own. "What? We ran all the way here from the park, and unless we end up in mortal danger on the way back, there's no way I'm running again."

"Big baby."

"Well, I'm sorry we can't all be as athletic as you."

"You could be if you ate something else other than meat all the time."

"Hey! I take offense to that!"

Sam smiled as the confirmation she won this round appeared in Tucker's expression. She was about to say something else when Danny's soft voice interrupted. "Guys, is this really the best time for this…?" Surprised, she glanced over to see if he was okay. Although it was very clear he hadn't completely recovered from his scare, traces of humor could be seen in his eyes. That was a good sign. Well, at least she hoped it was.

xxxxxx

Although he was still more than a little freaked out, Danny was starting to feel a little better. Too much had happened in one day for him to worry about it, so he decided it would be better to push his concerns aside until the next morning. Maybe everything would make more sense, or maybe he and his friends would awaken to realize they had the craziest dream. He could certainly live with that.

He looked up as the three of them walked. The night was oddly clear making it perfect for stargazing. If it was any other night, he would gladly welcome it, but now the clear skies made him feel unusually vulnerable. Although they were making good time, they were still too far away from Sam's home than he liked. What he wouldn't give to be safe behind some sort of walls.

A sudden chill started to creep through his body, causing him to shiver, and his breath became momentarily visible before it disappeared in faint wisps. "Guys…" he said cautiously, breaking the temporary silence between them, as the chill swept through him again.

"Not this again! Didn't this happen right before…." Tucker's words were cut short as Sam placed her hand over his mouth. He quickly swatted it away and glared at her. "What was that for?"

In response, she returned his glare with one of her own, which caused him to shrink back. "Don't say it! You don't want to jinx us! Come on, let's pick up the pace! Maybe we can get back before…"

"Try all you want. You won't be able to make it back… alive."

Danny froze as he tried to pinpoint the origin of the voice. This was just too coincidental. Was that cold feeling some sort of warning?

"So…" Tucker whispered as he looked up as he finally spotted the robot, who was currently watching them from several feet above. "If we make a break for it, how far away will we get before it catches us?"

"Do you really think that you can continue to run from me, Skulker, the Ghost Zone's greatest hunter? Please, the three of you aren't even a challenge," it told them as it descended. "Although I could easily spend all night chasing after you, I'm on a schedule." It glanced over at Sam and Tucker and grinned as it produced a long glowing blade from its arm, "And you two are of no use to me."

He watched as the robot moved towards his friends in a manner that reminded him of a hunter stalking its prey. If they decided to run, he knew they were not going to be able to get away this time. This was all his fault! That thing, Skulker, was after him!

Danny had begun moving even before he realized it. "You leave them alone!" he thundered as he crashed into the robot. Stumbling backwards after the initial impact, he tried to refocus as the pain swam through his body. Okay, so running into a solid hunk of metal was not his smartest move, but at least it got the thing to focus back on him. "Sam, Tucker, run! Get away from here while you can!"

"How touching." Skulker's tone and expression hinted it was starting to become annoyed with the situation. Danny barely had time to register its movement before it attacked him. The punch to the gut immediately filled his mouth with the taste of blood which was intensified with the backhand which sent him reeling to the ground.

"To bad you're in no shape to help them." Even though his head was swimming, Danny managed to pick his head up just enough to see his tormentor standing over him. Its twisted smile was the only thing he could identify as his vision started to dim. "Maybe if you were stronger this would be a different story, but you'll never get that chance." With a laugh, it turned and started back towards his friends.

Why? Why did it have to end like this? There was nothing he could do anymore. He could hear his friends frantically calling his name. Why did they stay? Why didn't they run like he told them too?

He could feel the cold tears running down his face as he fought to stay conscious while his friends screamed for help. Dammit! Why was he so useless? He couldn't let them die!

A new sense of resolve flooded through him as he tried to push himself upright. His vision was still hazy, but he could just make out the shapes of his friends and the monster pursuing them. One of them was on the ground while the other was frantically trying to help. Skulker was not going to let them escape. Its hulking shape was standing over them with its blade raised.

"St-stop!" Danny stammered in a desperate plea. He had to get over there! He had to help them! "STOP IT!" As he yelled, an icy pain, completely different from his previous aches, and a thousand times worse coursed through his body. Yet, unlike the previous pain, this one seemed to make him more alert, and he managed to pull himself off the ground.

He could tell that his friends and Skulker were surprised by his sudden movements, but any further movements he saw were lost as another wave of pain over took him. It was almost as if it was consuming him – wrapping him in icy tendrils electrifying his body. With each icy wave, he could feel the life being leeched out of him replacing it with some sort of unknown power.

From somewhere deep in his mind, he understood that he could use this power, whatever it was, to help his friends. He would worry about the price he was paying for it later; now, he was going to give it everything to save them.

He yelled something at the metal being… what, he wasn't sure. Although he wasn't exactly sure how it reacted, he knew he had gotten its attention. In that stunned moment, he let the power direct his movements as if it was his marionette and charged the creature. Instructions seemed to be flowing into him as he dodged and deflected the blows coming from the metal monstrosity.

He had to get in close; that was the only way to end the fight. Skulker's movements were becoming harder to dodge as the seconds ticked by. He couldn't tell if this was because Skulker was starting to clue into his movements or if it was because the power had been circulating through him was starting to fade from his body.

It was then that he saw it, an opening. Skulker had swung at him just a little too hard, causing its recovery to be a just a little longer. In that brief moment, he placed both of his hands on the creature's metal chest and concentrated. The power that had been swirling beneath the surface of his skin, giving him strength, flowed into his hands and concentrated itself. When the intensity of it threatened to harm him, he pushed it out of him with as much force as he could muster. The result was an intense flash of green light that knocked both him and his opponent back.

Regaining himself, he just managed to catch the sight of Skulker grasping at the hole in its chest as he turned and ran towards his terrified friends. Knowing that he hadn't done enough to put Skulker down for the count, he grabbed them and tried to lead them away. A strange feeling, different from the others that had plagued his body in the last couple hours, flooded his body. The next thing he knew, the three of them were standing in the road in front of Sam's house.

He had no idea how he had managed to get them back so quickly. As he let his friends go, his world began to spin. Pain was gnawing at his body, pulling him into darkness. The last thing he thought before his face met the pavement was to wonder if this was what dying felt like.

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><p>Wow! That was an extremely long chapter! I'm actually surprised with myself, but I wasn't going to be happy with myself unless I ended it there. Yes, there were some confusing hints in this chapter. Those are there for a reason... which I will not currently say. Please bare with me as all shall be revealed in due time.<p>

Oh, just as a heads up, there will not be a new chapter in June. Not only will I be out of the country for half of it, but June is my normal editing month, so I'll be going through and be seeing what I can do to improve this fic. If anyone has any ideas of what I can do to improve this, please don't be shy and leave a comment. I'd really like to know what you think. Or, if you don't want to do that... There's a poll on my profile (or at least there should be... please let me know if it's not visible) that has some editing suggestions.

And, I can't end a chapter without thanking my wonderful beta, Dragondancer123.

Until next time,  
>Goshi signing off<p> 


	10. Aftermath

Disclaimer: I own nothing. And truth be told, I don't have time to own anything. College and its ridiculous assignments steal your life.

Author's note: This chapter should have been up last month… but it did not want to be written. There are 9 or 10 other versions of this chapter floating around my house right now because of how difficult it was for me to write. But, now that this is out of the way, it should get a little easier.

Okay, onward to the story!

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><p>Eidolon<br>10. Aftermath

"So… What do you think he is?" Tucker asked her as they made their way to the kitchen to grab some lunch. It was about noon, and since Danny was still not awake -or showed any signs of waking, he had decided to put food on the top of his priority list. "Don't get me wrong. I'm thankful Danny went all glowy and beat that thing, but something that weird… And you got to admit, it was pretty weird…. Couldn't have come from a human."

"'Glowy'?" Sam asked while trying not to laugh. Oddly enough, it did help to lighten her bad mood brought on by exhaustion, fear, and paranoia. After Danny had somehow magically transported them back to her front yard and passed out, she and Tucker managed to sneak back into her house while carrying him and make it into her room undetected by her parents. Tiring as that and the chase from earlier was she was unable to convince herself they were safe and began constantly checking the window for any signs of the creature. Needless to say, by morning, she hadn't been able to fall asleep.

He just shrugged as he opened the large kitchen door and allowed Sam to pass through first. "I don't know what else to call it. I guess 'luminous' could work, but it doesn't really fit either."

"And 'glowy' does?"

"Probably not, but at least it's specific."

Though she would never admit it out loud, he did have a point. When Danny had taken a stand against the monster, ghost… whatever it actually was, it almost looked as if tendrils of greenish-white energy was wrapping around him. As it became more noticeable, it gave his body the illusion it was actually glowing. Even more startling was the change in his eyes and hair color. His eyes changed to a toxic shade of green which shouldn't exist in this world, and his hair had become a brilliant shade of white with a silvery sheen. After Danny had passed out, the white color seemed to seep out, leaving behind his naturally black hair after a couple minutes. Hopefully his eyes had returned to their natural color too.

"Anyway… what do you think we should take up to Danny?" By the time he spoke, Tucker had already started putting together a rather impressive lunch meat and mayo sandwich on one of the white marble counters. While Sam could not even look at the growing monstrosity, she was impressed by the knowledge he had of her kitchen. He had been over way too many times.

She thought for a moment as she searched one of the polished mahogany cabinets for some supplies of her own. "Well… probably bland foods like toast or rice would be best. Since he tends to get sick after anything weird happens to him, those are the only types of food that shouldn't cause any problems…"

"I didn't… even think about that…" he replied between chews, much to Sam's dismay. "Whatever that power… or weirdness is, it really seems to do a number on him."

"Yeah… and let's just hope it doesn't kill him in the process."

This particular episode had been particularly bad for Danny. Before carrying him into the house, she had checked his vital signs only to find no sign of life. His pulse was nonexistent, his breathing had ceased, and his body was freezing to the touch. Both of them had begun to panic and tried to remember what they could of CPR. Luckily for Tucker -what was it with guys and CPR? - Danny let out a shaky breath even before they got a chance to start.

Unsure what to make of the situation, they just stood there, dumbfounded, for a moment before deciding to take the seemingly unconscious and not dead boy into the house. If it was any other person, she would have called an ambulance without a second thought, but there was no way such strange events could be explained or probably even treated by a doctor. Besides, if he seemed fine now, it was unlikely a doctor would be able to do anything. Originally, they decided whoever woke up first would make sure Danny was still among the living, but with her being unable to sleep she checked on him regularly. His breathing and pulse seemingly remained steady, but his body, though a little warmer, still remained very cool to the touch; Combined with his naturally pale skin kept causing her to compare him to a cadaver.

An awkward tension filled the air for a moment while they made their lunches. Unnerved, Sam was about to say something, but a strange look from Tucker stopped her. "What's wrong?"

"Sam… this might sound weird, but what if that's the point? What if this power that's taken hold of him really is going to kill him?" he asked as he put his sandwich down and looked her in the eyes. "Didn't Danny say something before about how the ghost you two saw in the cemetery said that he didn't belong to _this_ world? And didn't it also suggest he didn't have a lot of time left? And didn't that thing that chased us last night call him 'Ghost Child'…. I don't know about you, but it just seems like, if you think about it, everything's suggesting he's going to die."

"Tucker, how can you say something like that?" she snapped while trying to prevent any emotion, save for anger, from crossing her face. During her vigil, similar thoughts had crossed her mind, but she tried to completely ignore them. She had noticed Danny always seemed drained and weak after the power manifested, almost as if his 'energy or' life was its power source. It seemed quite possible it could kill him if it continued, but the cryptic hints they kept getting suggested maybe that was what the power needed.

No! She wasn't going to think like that! Nothing as horrible as that was going to happen to Danny. They were going to somehow figure out how to help him, and she didn't need such terrible thoughts floating around her mind. She cringed as she once again tried to suppress them. Having the idea be said aloud seemed to somehow confirm it, even with absolutely no proof. "Let's just focus on finishing so we can get back to Danny. I wonder if he's awake yet…"

"If you say so… but before we do that, can you please explain why your toaster's floating?"

Sam had to chuckle as she watched Tucker begin to panic and quickly put space between him and unassuming yet levitating toaster. Glancing at it to make sure it was actually plugged in and in use; she shrugged and moved over to retrieve its contents. "It's from Denmark. This usually happens."

"Wait… what?"

….

Surprisingly, when they returned to Sam's room, Danny was awake and sitting up on the deep purple bed. He looked terrible. His blue eyes were dull, and the dark rings under them attested to just how tired he really was. His body was also incredibly sore and stiff, but nothing more seemed to be wrong with him. Sam couldn't help but be relieved. As she watched him thankfully accept the tray of food, it seemed as if there would be no lasting problems from the night's events.

After finishing his light meal, Danny hesitantly asked what happened the previous night. Unsure where to start, she looked to Tucker for some help, and within a few minutes, the combined effort of the two got him up to speed. He accepted it silently, though Sam did notice he kept looking down at his hands. It was almost as if he was checking to make sure they still looked the same. It unnerved her slightly, but she tried to push it aside as she suggested a good break from all the weirdness would be a monster movie marathon. Both Danny and Tucker gave her looks suggesting they questioned her sanity, but after a few minutes of persuasion and a mention of the room sized television in the entertainment room, they happily changed their minds.

xxxxxxxxxxxx

It was official. The best way to recover from a mysterious paranormal fight was to sit and watch movies in Sam's gigantic theater. Not only did Danny get to relax in some of the most comfortable chairs he had ever encountered, but the ability to laugh with his friends as they poked fun at the terrible effects further alleviated the stress weighing down on him. Surprisingly, they were able to get through three movies without being interrupted.

After glancing at fancy clock hanging from the wall, he realized it was almost dinner time. "Hey, I should probably be getting home soon. Knowing Winston, he'll be getting worried."

"Do you think you're up to walking home?" Sam asked as she gave him an appraising glance. "You're welcome to stay another night."

A chuckle escaped him as he thought about her parents' reactions to the suggestion. Although he had only briefly met them, something told him the couple was already not too fond of him. "I think I can handle it." That was an obvious lie. His body still felt as if he had been put inside of an industrial dryer on spin mode, but how else was he going to get home? He didn't want to impose on Sam, Winston would start asking questions, and he certainly didn't have the money to call a taxi. "Besides, the walking might help with the stiffness."

"Or it could make it worse. Seriously dude, you should be taking it as easy as you can. Kicking some serious butt can be really tiring." Tucker's tone was playful and encouraging, but Danny knew he was trying to hide his own concerns about the strange event. Judging by how Sam and Tucker were acting when they entered the room after he woke up, the two most likely had a serious conversation about what happened. Though they tried to make him feel as if nothing was wrong, he could sense their worry.

He was about to start arguing but Sam quickly cut him off. "If you really think you should leave, at least I can do is to have my driver give you a ride home. I mean, you did save our lives."

"Thanks… but are you sure..? Wait, you have your own driver?" he asked, unsure if he had heard her correctly.

Sam fidgeted for a moment before answering. "Well, he's technically one of the drivers for my family, but I'm on better terms with him than my parents…. So, he's kinda unofficially mine."

"There's more than one…? Never mind." He cut himself off after a moment. "I don't want to know the specifics." The lives of the rich were hard to comprehend.

…..

After about a half an hour, the three of them were in the back of a stretch limo complete with its own mini bar stocked with several foreign drinks. Neither Sam nor Tucker actually needed to come, but they refused to let him go home alone. Danny just figured it was their way of showing concern. Though he didn't really need it, he didn't mind as their presence made the short ride more enjoyable.

When he arrived home, he was expecting a quite scene. Winston's silver Chevy would be sitting in the driveway, and while Winston himself would either be tending his modest garden or doing some paperwork in the study. But, instead of normalcy, chaos greeted him.

Yellow police tape had been placed around the perimeter of the yard and across the open front door. Several police cars were sitting, not only in front of the house, but also in his and the neighbor's driveway. A few officers were standing in the yard talking to each other while wearing serious expressions. Another was entering the house along with a couple people in white uniforms. Before the limo could even come to a stop, Danny jumped out of it and ran to the house, only to be stopped by some of the officers.

"I'm Danny, Winston's charge," he nearly shouted after one of the officers grabbed him while trying to explain he could not enter a crime scene. "What happened? Where's Winston? Does he know? Is he alright?"

"Wait, you're Wolf's kid?" another office asked as he approached. "We put out an alert saying you were missing. So you weren't in the house last night?"

"No, I…"

"Excuse me, Sir," Sam interrupted as she and Tucker ran over. "Danny was with us last night. He was staying over my house."

"He's not in trouble, is he?" There was a noticeable shiver within Tucker's voice, but he was doing his best not to show any other sign of nervousness. "Because we can totally vouch for him! We were with him for most of the day yesterday."

The officer held up his hand as a signal to let him talk. A trouble look crossed his face as he removed his hat and ran his free hand through his graying hair. After collecting himself, he held his hand out for Danny to shake. "I wish we could have met under friendlier circumstances, but I'm Sergeant Ross. We were called to your house after one of your neighbors called in some concerns about the safety of your dad. They thought they had heard gun shots last night but shrugged it off until they realized they never saw him leave the house today. We even received a confirmation from his work that he never arrived."

Danny bit his lip as he listened quietly. Winston almost never missed work, even if he was very sick. So, knowing that, something had to have gone seriously wrong, and Danny wasn't exactly sure if he was ready to find out what.

"I hate to say it, but it was a good thing we did decided to check on him," Ross continued as he looked him in the eye. "Your dad's currently in J. Marley Central Hospital and is being treated for several severe injuries from… what we think was a home invasion."

"No... That's impossible…" Danny stuttered after a few confused moments. "Winston's an ex-marine… He would have fought back. No one could have done that much damage…"

"Son, take it easy. This isn't the time for this…"

"You don't understand! Winston can take care of himself! There's a gun under his mattress for goodness' sake! He's always been prepared for something like this to happen! Some lame burglar couldn't have put him in the hospital!"

"Wait… did you say that Wolf owned a gun?" Ross asked carefully. "What kind was it?"

"I'm not exactly sure…. It's not like I saw it every day or anything," he replied gruffly as he tried to keep his feelings quelled long enough to try and answer the question. It wasn't like the officer had anything to do with Winston being hurt, but he certainly didn't want to be answering any questions. "I know it's some type of hand gun…. Maybe it's a .28… The box of bullets was sitting in the shelf on the study."

A concerned expression crossed the Sergeant's face as he called over to another officer. "Have any of the men found a firearm in or around the premises?" When the man shook his head, Ross' expression became grim. He then told the man to grab a couple of the other officers and search the area again, as well as finding a record of Winston's gun registration. After the other officer left, Ross turned back to Danny. "Well, I can't say I'm pleased by this new information… But I'm glad you mentioned it." He gave the boy a searching look before he spoke again. "I'm going to need to take you down to the precinct so you can give your official statement and maybe answer a few questions. Then we're going to need to go through your house and see if anything has been stolen."

"Wait… now?" Danny half demanded, half choked. "You're not going to let me see Winston first?"

"He's in the hospital…"

"You told me that, but you haven't told me anything else!" He had to fight to keep his voice and hands under control. Something in the back of his mind told him the officer would not appreciate it if he started waving his hands around while he was agitated. "Winston's all I have! I need to see for myself just how bad it is. I'll answer any question you have afterwards, but please, please let me see him first!"

"I can't let you do that."

"Why? Wait… I know what's going on… You think I did this." His eyes narrowed as he pointed at the officer. "I can't believe you! You're supposed to be trying to find whoever did this to Winston! Instead, you're wasting your time looking at me. I wasn't even home last night!" He took a breath to try and calm down for a moment as Tucker put his hand on his shoulder in a comforting gesture. With each breath, he could feel himself shaking in rage. "If anything, you should be looking at that Masters guy…"

It was the officer's turn to be suspicious. "…You don't mean Vlad Masters, do you?"

"I think so… He and Winston don't seem to get along…"

"And don't forget! He's the one who snuck into your house that one day!" Tucker added as he gave a shudder. "That's the day we heard Mr. Wolf yelling. No offense dude, but he's really frightening when he's mad."

"Tell me about it…"

"Back up a minute," the officer interrupted while rubbing his eyes. "You're telling me, Vlad Masters broke into your house. What business does someone like him have in your house?"

Could this officer be any more irritating? Danny had to bite back a sarcastic reply as he answered the officer. "He said he was checking up on Winston since he had to reschedule a meeting… with I guess one of his assistants. According to him, our front door was open, and he went inside to make sure everything was okay." As the officer wrote down something on a little tablet that was pulled out of his pocket, Danny decided he had enough. "Look! I'll answer any of your questions later, but I'm not doing anything else until I get to see Winston!"

….

After a twenty minute standoff, Danny finally got his way. An irritated Sergeant Ross had escorted him to the hospital after finally realizing he wasn't going to get any answers. After the two stepped into the waiting area, he ran to the nearest available teller and practically demanded to know where Winston was being treated. After an agonizingly slow few minutes, he finally got an answer.

In retrospect, running as fast as he could through the halls was probably one of the worst things he could do in the hospital, but he really didn't care. He easily managed to avoid any obstacle he encountered. Who knew there would be so many movable computers, monitors, and people in those maze-like hallways? When he finally reached Winston's room, he was met with a wall of people. Several doctors all wearing dark expressions seemed to be deep in discussion as they blocked the only door into the room.

Unsure how to interrupt the doctors, he was happy to realize Winston's room had a window. Peeking in, he felt his breath hitch as he realized just how serious the attack on his guardian had been. Winston was unconscious and hooked up to a respirator. Several monitors were hooked up to the man, and two IV bags, one of blood and one of clear fluid, were also put in place. What little bit of skin was not covered by bandage or machine looked bruised and swollen. The overall image made Winston look like he was fragile enough to break if he was touched. Danny had to try and hold back tears as he wondered who could have done such a thing.

"How the hell did you get here so fast?" an out of breath voice asked from somewhere behind him making him jump. He turned around to see a rather winded Sergeant Ross giving him a searching look. "I couldn't go more than a few feet without out running into something."

Danny didn't say anything as he turned back towards the window. He didn't want to have Winston out of his sight for more than a few minutes. He just had this feeling something terrible would happen if he did.

"I'm sorry to interrupt, but are you part of Winston's family?" A person wearing a white coat came into the periphery of his vision. Curious, he turned to see a young female doctor extending her hand to him. "I'm Dr. Sabo, and I'm currently in charge of managing him while he's here."

He hesitantly took her hand and explained who he was. "How… how is he?" Even he could hear the unease in his voice.

"That's the big question, isn't it?" Dr. Sabo frowned as she looked towards the window. "I hate to say it, but it's hard to tell at this point. Winston received several odd wounds from the attack."

"Odd…? How so?" the sergeant asked, surprising both Danny and the doctor.

She bit her lip as she tried to find the words to describe her thoughts. "It's the first time any of us have seen wounds like that. They almost seem to be large bullet wounds, but the edges of them act more like burns. And, to make matters worse, we were unable to locate any residual bullets there might have been. We're really at a loss for what happened to him."

"Will he be able to answer any questions?"

"I'm not sure. Winston, although stable, is in a terrible condition. He's going to have to be watched very carefully over the next several days. We're going to do our best to see that he heals, but it will be up to his body to make sure he recovers. From what I can see of him, he appears to be in very good shape for his age, so we're hopeful… but, you can never tell."

The world started to spin as Danny listened to the doctor go into more details about Winston's condition with the sergeant. He allowed himself to slide down the wall and sit as he tried to get some sort of grasp on the situation. He never thought he would be in this situation. He had once joked that Winston was too strong to ever be taken down by anything other than a renegade bus, but this had shown him Winston was human, just like everyone else.

Danny couldn't take it anymore. In an uncharacteristic moment of weakness, he buried his face in his hands and allowed the tears to come. It was a small comfort, but if he was going to have to deal with the police over the next several hours, he was going to need to be as strong as possible.

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><p>Now that the chapter is finally done, I can finally move into the really exciting sections. I'm so pumped! :P<p>

Anyways, a couple things:

J. Marley Central Hospital is not a real place… at least I think so. I named it to keep in line with the ghost theme of the show. Jacob Marley was the first ghost who appeared to Ebenezer Scrooge in Charles Dickens' _A Christmas Carol._

Dr. Sabo and Sergeant Ross aren't all that important. They're really only there for this section… and I don't think they'll appear again…Yeah…

And, can I just say that hospitals are the most confusing things on earth? Cuz, they are. There are at least fifteen hospitals within an hour and a half of my house, and all of them are mazes. The floor plans are ridiculous. You can't walk through them without encountering workers, movable computers and/or other medical devices, and let's not forget the robots. Don't ask about that last one. It is really funny to see them having a Mexican standoff though.

Once again, dragondancer123 has kindly beta'ed this chapter. Please go thank her! She is amazing and deserves those praises!


	11. Alternative Paths

:waves: Hello everyone! It's been a while, hasn't it? Sorry about that. This chapter has actually been done since mid-September, but with myself and Dragondancer being very busy recently, it's been difficult to accomplish almost anything. It should be noted that this chapter has not yet been beta'ed... it will be updated when it does.

With me being a bit out of it, the concept of one or two reviews does make me feel a little better. So, onward to the chapter!

Disclaimer: I own nothing! Yeah, that'll work today.

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><p>Eidolon<p>

11. Alternative Paths

The police officers had told him they needed to ask him a few questions. What they forgot to mention was he would be locked in a small, remarkably bare room for five hours with a police officer who was dead set in viewing him as a suspect. Danny had never been more relieved to get out of a room before in his life. Yeah, he understood family members needed to be questioned due to the statistics surrounding such crimes, but seriously! Did someone as scrawny as him really look like he could have hurt Winston that badly without getting any sort of injury in the process?

However, he couldn't really blame them for being suspicious, especially when it came to his whereabouts the previous night. How do you rationally explain you were chased by a murderous robot-ghost-thing? The obvious answer was to avoid the topic all together. He hoped he was convincing enough when he said he and his friends had taken a walk in the evening and returned to Sam's house to watch some movies. He specifically avoided mentioning the park. There was no telling what the officers would think if they learned he might have been around when it got torn up. He was actually kind of surprised no one in the precinct had mentioned it.

A few times during his interview, he had nervously flattened his bangs a few times, hoping to hide the cut he had suddenly remembered getting at the beginning of his terrifying adventure. The officer interviewing him had noticed the motion, which caused him to leave it alone the rest of the time he was in the room. Surprisingly, Danny wasn't asked about it. A little wary after he was finished and allowed to exit the room, he touched the spot only to find smooth skin. It took a lot of self-control to not dash to a reflective surface and examine his forehead. There was no use in making the officers more suspicious. As weird as a missing cut was he could wait until he got home to check.

Scratch that… he could check after he found a place to stay for a while. As he was about to exit the station, an older officer kindly reminded him of the fact his house was currently considered a crime scene. After apologizing for a lack of effort from the staff for trying to contact his family and promising to personally look into it in the morning, he directed Danny to a nearby phone situated at the front desk.

Danny was a little surprised at the kind attitude of the officer as he had been dealing with a special type of dick for the past several hours, but it was a nice change. Shaking his head a little, he moved to the phone to call Sam, praying she was still awake as it was approaching midnight. Both of his friends told him they wanted an update, but with it being late and he being emotionally, physically, and mentally drained, the only topic he wanted to discuss involved where he would be staying for the night.

As he was dialing her number, the door to the station opened and a tall man strolled in. The newcomer was tall and rather thin. He wore a clean black business suit which appeared to be expertly cared for and rather expensive. Gray hair had been slicked back into a neat ponytail, and calculating cold blue eyes surveyed his surroundings. Danny dropped the phone in surprise as he realized the man in front of him was the one and only Vlad Masters.

The sound from the phone brought him to Masters' attention, causing the man to adopt an unsettling grin. "Why here you are! I've been looking all over for you!" The tone of his voice and his expression adopted a semblance of concern, but it did not reach his eyes. "I was so worried after I found out what happened to Winston. My condolences, but I'm glad you're safe and sound."

"Don't talk about Winston like he's dead!" Danny snapped. "Look, can you just go away? If you haven't realized, it's been a pretty bad day for me, and I don't feel like talking to you right now."

"Of course. How inconsiderate of me. After everything you've been through today, you must be exhausted. Come, I'll make sure you're well taken care of."

It took Danny a moment to grasp the implications of Vlad's statement. "Wait… what? There's no way I'm going with you!"

"Poor boy, you must be more tired than you realize." The businessman pinched the bridge of his nose as he let out a dramatic sigh. "Don't you remember? It was determined that you would be placed into my care if anything were to happen to Winston."

"That's news to me!"

"Excuse me, but what exactly is going on here?" The sound of the officer's voice made him jump. He had forgotten there was another soul in the room. However, he couldn't be more relieved. Being in the room alone with the businessman was an unnerving thought. It was even more relieving when he realized the officer seemed to be equally suspicious.

In a truly professional manner, Vlad introduced himself and explained his relationship to Danny as well as his involvement in the custody battle. Again, he mentioned how he was now to act as a guardian in Winston's stead.

"I already told you, I'm not going anywhere with you!" Danny growled as he glared at the man. Something was very wrong with the picture. Winston didn't trust Vlad, and there was no way he would let him fall into the billionaire's hands.

"You have to forgive the boy. We had a little spat the last time we saw each other, and I'm afraid he hasn't forgiven me," Vlad apologetically explained to the officer.

"Spat? You _broke_ into my house?"

Before Vlad could respond, the officer held up his hand to halt the brewing argument. "Mr. Masters, do you have some sort of proof you can take the boy?" Vlad's expression quickly changed from shocked to insulted as the officer spoke. "Surely a man of your standing can understand our position. With the way Mr. Wolfe was attacked, we cannot rule anyone out as a potential suspect. With you being involved in a custody battle and Danny's status as a minor, we are rather uncomfortable sending him on his way like this. I'm also fairly certain you weren't notified of the situation…" The officer's eyes narrowed as he appraised the man. "Which leads me to wonder how you found out."

"One of my staff members was going to drop off some papers at the house when she saw the police cars and asked what happened" Vlad explained with an impatient air. "But that's not important right now…"

As he watched Vlad begin to argue with the officer, Danny couldn't help but feel a rush of gratitude. For whatever reason, the officer did not seem to believe Vlad's story and generally seemed concerned for his wellbeing.

Everything seemed to be going in his favor when Danny was nearly bowled over by a sudden blast of cold air rushed by him. Startled, he started looking around to find some possible source… and open window, a vent, something to explain it. While he tried to wrack his brains for some other answer when the normal explanations were ruled out, he noticed the officer stumble slightly. He didn't think anything of it until the man rubbed his forehead and excused himself for a moment.

Rather unsettled by the officer's display and being left alone with Vlad, Danny moved back to the phone to attempt to resume his call. Though he was able to reach Sam's house this time, a presumed butler answered and informed him that "Miss Samantha is asleep and no longer taking calls for the night." While Danny was pretty sure it was a lie, he went with it and asked the man to give a message to her when he could.

Displeased by the turn of events, he was about to try calling Tucker when the officer returned to the room. Something did not seem right as he looked at him. The man's posture seemed stiff, and his eyes were unfocused and reddish. Wait… Danny blinked and rubbed his eyes before checking again. The man's eyes were actually red! Weren't they brown before?

"Sorry for the inconvenience." The officer's voice had an unusual mechanical quality to it… almost as if the words he was saying weren't actually his. He held up a document of some sorts as he spoke again. "It seems like someone did verify this earlier, but just forgot to place it somewhere it could be found."

"Does this mean everything's in order?" Vlad asked with a voice filled with hardly concealed delight.

"Yes. You can take the boy. We'll be in touch within the next few days to let you know how Wolfe is doing."

"Splendid! Come on my boy, it's time to go!"

Danny backed away as Vlad beckoned to him, nearly tripping over the desk in the process. His mind was screaming all sorts of warnings at him. The entire situation felt wrong, but he had no idea how to escape it. Vlad was blocking his way to the front door, and he doubted the few officers left in the building would appreciate a desperate search for the rear exit.

"What did you do to him?" he demanded as his eyes darted between both men before he pointed at Vlad. He knew he probably wasn't going to get an answer, but he hoped he could stall the man long enough to come up with some sort of plan.

"Pardon me? Whatever do you mean?"

"Y-you know what I mean!" While he tried to keep the anger in his voice, it was quickly giving way to panic. Vlad kept moving towards him wearing an increasingly predatory expression which was really creeping him out. Strangely, the thought of accidently falling through the wall crossed his mind. Unsettling as it was, it was a far better situation than the one he was currently in. "The officer's not acting right!"

Vlad replied, but his words were drowned out as a strange coldness started to seep into his body, quickly filling every aspect. He tried to escape, thinking it was somehow tied to where he was standing, but his legs wouldn't respond. They felt heavy and strangely detached; his arms were beginning to feel the same way. He tried to yell out without any success. He soon realized his mind was being pushed further away from the sensations of his body and into something like a dark crevasse to be stored and forgotten.

But the coldness was not finished. It briefly brushed against his mind and seemed to whisper in an almost familiar voice, "_Relax… It'll be safer for you and me if you do…"_

Danny's last conscious thought before the darkness completely took him was to wonder if he was ever going to wake up.

….

When he came to, Danny found himself lying on his back and staring at an unfamiliar white ceiling. His mind felt groggy and his body heavy. Though he wasn't sure, he felt as if he had been asleep for quite some time. Sitting up, he tried to remember how he got where he was… only, he didn't know where that might be.

Looking around, he realized something wasn't right. The room he was in was rather large. It was a bedroom, not much different from Sam's, only it didn't have any posters or the same dark decorations. In fact, the room was mostly white save for some wooden furniture. Even the four-poster bed he was sitting on had a white comforter and curtains. The only real decoration in the room was a painting on the wall directly across from him which seemed to show military conquest with… a paranormal influence. It was rather grotesques.

The blank room gave him an uneasy feeling. Although it definitely wasn't, it gave him the feeling he was in a jail of sorts. Unnerved, he slowly got up and moved to the room's single window. After moving the curtains aside, he cursed as he realized the glass was heavily frosted, preventing him from seeing any scenery. His next move was to try the door, but it was locked.

After a panicked few minutes trying everything he could think of to attempt to open the door, he placed his back against the door and slid down it. What was he going to do? The better question was what was going to happen to him? With the room being blank, it gave him no indication of what he should expect. He should, he supposed, be thankful for it, but the wait might be too much for him to handle. What was the old adage? The suspense is worse than the actual event? He really hoped that wouldn't be the case.

xxxxxx

The sound of one of her parents calling for her to come into the downstairs wafted through the room, however, Sam was dead set on ignoring the summons. There were far more important things on her mind than dealing with whatever new 'daughter improvement project' they had come up with.

She was incredibly worried about her friend who neither she nor Tucker had heard from in a little over two days. At first she thought it might be due to being overwhelmed by suddenly finding out the man who raised him had been severely attacked and/or the police being jerks, but a call earlier in the day really concerned her.

She had been thinking about calling the police in the morning (while skipping class due to a feigned illness), however they beat her to the punch. Around eleven, she had received a call from one of the detectives asking her if she had heard from Danny. She told him no right before demanding to know what was wrong. Though it took a little bit of coaxing (and a reminder of her parents' influences), the officer admitted they had no idea where the boy was. He disappeared after his interview with another officer, and though they hated to admit it, after failing to contact him or anyone else who might have the boy, he was being labeled as a missing person. Her immediate response was to insult the competence of him and the rest of the force as the boy had gone missing from underneath their noses, but after she calmed down a bit, she promised to help in whatever way she could.

Sam sat down on her large purple clad bed and stared up at one of the posters on the ceiling as she tried to understand the situation. Her friend, who seemed to attract terrible and odd events, was now missing. Danny had tried to contact her the night he disappeared, but her family had forbidden her from further calls when she had returned home that night after they learned about the attack on Winston. Somehow, they had gotten the notion whatever had harmed Winston could attack her if she continued to talk to Danny. Though it was kind of nice to know they cared, they had taken it way overbroad.

But what was strange about the situation was there was no security image of Danny leaving the precinct. The officer had explained to her they had installed cameras a while back after someone had tried to break in to the office in an attempt to steal their guns. Due to safely concerns, they regularly had them checked, but the night Danny disappeared, they had a major malfunction. There was an image of him entering the entrance area, but after a few minutes, the image distorted so badly they could not make heads or tails of it. It also seemed to return to normal rather suddenly after a while, but Danny was long gone by then.

A look at the clock told her she was going to have to wait a while before she could contact Tucker. Unlike her, he had been forced to go to school. She had no idea if he already knew Danny was missing, but no matter what, he was going to help her try to find him. Tucker was the probably the only person in town who could possibly get an image off of the damaged security tape, and the only other person (besides her) who Danny had trusted with his issues. They had to try and do what they could to help him.

…

"So, any luck?" Sam asked the boy currently sitting on her rug surrounded by any number of other electronic equipment. He had been staring at the screen of his PDA with an intense look for quite some time.

She had managed to contact Tucker mere moments after he was finished with his classes for the day and explained the situation. After freaking out a bit, he told her he would be over soon after he made a quick stop. He arrived about forty minutes later looking more determined than he had ever seen him while carrying a bookbag filled to the brim with tech supplies she had never seen before. After asking if he needed anything, Tucker quickly went to work with his task.

"…Whoever did this to this footage is really good…" he eventually replied after a few more minutes of silence.

"What do you mean?" Sam asked hesitantly. It was rare to hear such a tone in Tucker's voice when it came to technology. He could usually work his way around a system in a few seconds, minutes if it was more complicated, but this was really causing him problems.

"It's hard to explain… Usually, people just modify existing images when they don't something seen, but this guy actually managed to replace some of the footage with an error screen…"

"So… it's gone… Like completely, gone? You can't trace it or anything?" There was no way for her to hide the hint of panic in her voice. If Tucker couldn't bring up anything, no one could… which meant they weren't going to have anything to use to find Danny.

A small laugh escaped Tucker, which caused her to stare at the boy. "Jeez, Sam, you shouldn't think so little of me. Who do you think I am? This guy, though good, made a small mistake. I guess he got interrupted or something because he started just covering up the image after a while instead of changing it. To most people, it's nearly impossible to catch, but it's there. Just give me a little bit of time…."

"A little bit of time?" Sam repeated as she watched him frantically work with his PDA. "How long are we talking about?"

He hit a few more buttons on the screen before he looked up and smiled. "Does 'now' work for you?"

"Tucker, you're amazing!"

"I know, I know. But it's nice to have my fans remind me."

Sam pulled down his hat in response as she sat next to him on the floor. "Anyways, do you have the entire footage?"

"I couldn't get part of it due to the replacement… but it looks like a little less than half was just modified…. So, let's see what no one wanted us to find…." He pressed a button on the screen and a fuzzy image began to appear. On the footage, they could see Danny backing away from someone standing near the door. It was difficult to make out, but judging from Danny's posture, he did not seem to be happy to see the person. After a little bit, Danny stopped retreating and followed the unknown man out the door.

Without any prodding, Tucker tried to see if he could clear the image a little or at least clear up the image of the suspect. After frantically trying several different techniques, he sighed and rubbed his eyes with his free hand. According to him, even though the person had changed methods, they were still able to damage the rest of the footage.

"I'll continue to work with it when I get home," he promised. "This is going to require some big guns for me to get something useful out of this. But don't worry; I'm not going to give up. After he saved our lives, I think this is the least I can do for him."

…..

Tucker had been booted from the house as soon as Sam's parents caught him being there. Thinking back, she was a little surprised he had managed to sneak past them in the first place since they were particularly good at catching people going up to her room. They had punished her in response by having her stay in her room for the rest of the night, which didn't bother her in the least bit.

Around seven in the evening she received a call on her cell. Noticing the number, she picked it up as quickly as possible, hoping her parents didn't hear it ringing. "Did you find anything?" she asked the caller as a form of greeting. The caller's reply was spoken too quickly and frantically for her to understand. "Whoa, slow down Tucker! I can't understand you!"

"_Sam… it's worse than we thought!_" came his panicked reply. "_I managed to identify who was in the police station with Danny._"

"Yeah? Well, who was it?"

"_It was… Vlad Masters_…."

Sam barely registered the phone slipping from her fingers and landing on the floor. How could she be so stupid? She knew that man had an interest in getting hold of Danny and should be the first logical suspect, but she didn't realize he would have stooped so low.

Angry with herself, she reached down to grab her phone so she could calm a frantic Tucker but stopped midway as a thought crossed her mind. How were they going to be able to get Danny back from a man who had mastered in lies with an unimaginable fortune to back him up?

* * *

><p>Ta da! Another chapter down! Hmm… I thought I was going to get a little further in the plot than this, but I'm not too concerned. I never seem to factor in dialogue when I outline things in my mind. Oh well.<p>

I have no idea when the next updates will be. Chapter 12 is practically done... but my schedule is evil. And for the other chapters... while I have lovely breaks from classes, I have some nasty B.S. classes that require a Hell of a lot of work for no reason and several group projects. If I turn into a zombie by the end of the semester, I won't be surprised. I'd fit right in too... Home is the zombie capital of the world, after all.

College can be an evil place.

Oh, and I guess I should mention about how I portrayed the police in this chapter. Most police officers are actually nice people and fair, but the ones in my area are not. …And, it's easier to write off of experience, so yeah….

Goshi,  
>signing off!<p> 


	12. Entrapment

Disclaimer: Do you really think I own DP? Who do you think I am, Butch Hartman? Unless he uses the disguise of a pharmacy student, I'm no one of importance.

XD I have been waiting to write this chapter for so long! I'm so excited! Hope you like it! It's a bit more detailed than some of the other chapters. And, there's no POV switches.

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><p>Eidolon<br>12. Entrapment

It was difficult to tell how much time had passed since he had been in the room. There was no apparent clock, even if he could swear he could hear the soft, steady ticking of one, and he didn't carry a watch or phone he could check. Danny's eyes wondered to one of the white walls for a moment as he tried to imagine it with a non-frosted window. Even a glance outside would be better than nothing. At least then he could tell for certain if it was day or night.

Heck, even watching the scenery for a while would be an improvement over his current activity of lying face up on the eerily pristine bed and staring at the ceiling. He had already checked the entire room (including under the bed) six times for anything he could use to at least get out of the room, and he could only do that so many times before it started to get to him. The exhaustion didn't help. While he was searching, his limbs had decidingly refused to remain normal for more than a few minutes at a time. From the time the strange occurrences began, he had experienced a few bad days, but nothing compared to this particular one. It was almost as if simply being in the room was making it worse.

The ceiling held no answers or a hidden plan of escape, but he continued to stare at it anyways. He knew he should be trying to escape while worrying about Winston and his friends, but he was unable to summon the effort. It was almost as if an odd hollowness had replaced his heart. He slowly sat up as he considered the strangeness of it. Maybe it was just that exhausted, or maybe the room was getting to him more than he thought.

…

A sweet smell caught his attention as he opened his eyes. Groggy and confused, he slowly sat up and stared for a moment as his brain tried to process what he was seeing. While he had been asleep, someone had placed a silver tray which held a small pastry and an unknown drink with a strangely appealing color on the floor. He was rather surprised he could see it from his location, but perhaps whoever had put it there had placed it there on purpose.

Curious, he slowly crawled off the bed and moved over to it. The pastry didn't seem like anything special, but he was starting to feel hungry and allowed himself to try it. The drink was different. He noted that whatever was in it was thicker than water and gave off a strong yet attractively sweet smell. It was also an unusual green color, which was what made him wary of it. The drink looked a little too much like the antifreeze he had occasionally helped Winston put into his car. He was probably being paranoid, but he was locked in room without any apparent way for him to escape. It wouldn't be a stretch to say that whoever put him there was going to eventually kill him. Isn't that what usually happened to kidnapped kids?

His eyes widened as the weight of his previous thought hit him. When a child went missing, didn't the news usually mention it was nearly impossible to find the child alive if the child couldn't be found within twenty four hours? And didn't adolescents fall into the same category when it came to the statistics? Panic welled up in his chest as he stared at his hands. Exactly how long had he been in the room? If anything, he was probably didn't have much time left. Well, he wasn't going to give up without a fight!

A guttural yell escaped him as he charged the only door in the room. The wood quivered for a moment as he bounced off of it and landed painfully on the floor. Undeterred and filled with resolve, he rushed it again and again with similar results. His whole body began to ache from the effort, but it wasn't enough to make him stop. He didn't want to die. He couldn't die! Not while his friends didn't know where he was (if they even knew he was missing), nor while Winston was still in the hospital. He just had to escape!

But he couldn't do anything if he was exhausted. After bouncing off the door about ten more times, he allowed himself to relax and rest against the side of the bed for a little before he tried again. His right shoulder was throbbing and his butt was sore from hitting the ground so many times, but he tried to ignore the pain as he examined the door. What was it made of? Steel? There didn't seem to be any sign of damage on it, but he had to have done something to it. When he recovered more, a closer look would be in order. Aiming for a weak spot would be far more beneficial than continuing to blindly run at it.

A though occurred to him as he looked at the door. Maybe he could pull the pins out of the hinges… It was so simplistic, it could actually work. Curious as to why he didn't think of it earlier, he slowly stood up and limped over. Wow, ramming it had taken more out of him than he thought.

He ran his fingers along the frame as he tried to find some sign of the hinges, but quickly realized it was futile. This door opened from the other side… There went that idea. Well, while he was there he might as well check the door for any signs of damage. There wasn't much to find, but there was some near the stubbornly locked doorknob. It wasn't as much as he had hoped but a few more hits to the right side of the door should be enough to at least get him out of the room. From there… he would have to wing it. He just hoped there weren't any other doors like the one currently keeping him captive out there. This one was bad enough.

Deciding it was not the best of ideas to attack the door again in his current state, he headed back towards the bed and laid down. He stole a quick look at the platter of food before he buried his face in the pillow. He was starting to get a bit hungry, but there was no way he was going to eat poisoned food. A growl combined with a gnawing feeling in his stomach entertained him as he drifted back into sleep.

…

"Why… won't… this thing…. Break?" Danny yelled as he kicked the door. After waking up, he had resumed his task of running at the door, but after no further progress, frustration had taken hold of him. He sighed as he banged his head off the door. If he couldn't get past something as simple as a door, how was he going to escape?

A clicking sound caught his attention. Glancing down at the doorknob, he noticed movement. Suspicious, he backed away and waited. The doorknob continued to rattle for a moment before a hard yank pulled the door completely open. The man who was revealed glanced at the door carefully before looking at Danny and smiling. "What exactly have you been getting yourself into? Hmm?"

"Y-you!" Danny stammered as recognition hit him. Vlad Masters had done well on his promise. Somehow the man had managed to take him from the police station and put him in this prison of a room. This was a worst case scenario… well, maybe not the worst. At least this man didn't particularly want to kill him, he hoped. "Where am I? What do you want from me?"

Vlad shook his pointer finger as if he was telling off a young child. "All in due time, my boy. But first, I must ask, how are you feeling?"

A blank stare was the only response Danny could give as he tried to process the question. This man kidnapped him and then turned around and asked about his condition. Was it him or did something just not add up?

Vlad took a couple steps into the room and glanced around. His eyes narrowed as he noticed the untouched tray of food Danny had carefully moved out of the way. "I see that you didn't touch your snack. I had a servant place it there in case you got hungry… It's been a couple days since I placed you here. You really should eat something…. Or at the very least, have a drink."

A couple days? He had been here for a couple days? Jeez… this room really did steal all sense of time. He shook his head. He would have to deal with it later; there were more important problems… like getting away from the madman in front of him. "Sorry, but that's been the last thing on my mind," he snapped.

Danny watched carefully as Vlad pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed. From the limited interactions he had previously had with the man, he had learned enough to know Vlad was slightly annoyed. "Come now, Daniel," Vlad's tone almost matched the vary one Winston had used in the past when he was trying to convince him to do his chores. "Believe it or not, I do have your best interests at heart. Starving yourself isn't going to accomplish anything and neither is repeated throwing yourself against the door. You'll just be doing more damage to yourself than to it."

"Says the man who kidnapped me."

"I don't expect you to understand the reasons for my actions… at least not yet…" The older man moved to the tray to retrieve its lone cup before turning back to him. "But I assure you, everything was done for your benefit."

"Sorry if I don't believe you…"

"I assumed you wouldn't listen. We'll discuss this later once you've calmed down."

"'Calmed down'? Calm down! You've fricken kidnapped me! How the hell am I supposed to calm down?" His fists were balled and his shoulders tense as he spoke. It was taking almost all of his will power to not punch him in the face. Actually, that might not be a bad idea. Vlad didn't look all that strong, and he was a business man (they don't have time to work out)…. One good punch to the face should knock him out. And with the door finally being open, he could make his escape.

Without another thought, he charged Vlad. The older man looked surprised as Danny's fist came close in on its target. Danny smirked as he had a clean shot, but stumbled in horror as he landed. Instead of hitting a wall of flesh, his fist along with his body just passed through the man. Unsure exactly what happened, he slowly backed away. Glancing to his side, he realized he had a clear shot to the door and made a break for it.

Before he could even get through the opening, a strong pair of hands grabbed him from behind. He fought, flailed, and yelled in an attempt to break free, but whomever had him had a grasp like a vice. Apparently tired of his antics, his captor spun him around , let him go for a brief confusing moment, before using one arm to pin him against his body and to grab his chin with the other.

Being unable to move his head, Danny had no idea who was keeping him from escaping. Or, for that matter, where he had come from since it seemed like only Vlad had come alone. However, the person holding him felt unusually cold, almost as if he had been standing in a walk-in freezer just prior to him grabbing hold of him. Whoever this person was, he was a major obstacle in his goal to escape.

"Hold him still," Vlad commanded of his unknown aid as he approached the pair. Danny felt a little more than unnerved as he watched. There were no traces of kindness on his face, just a cold, calculating, business-like stare which sent shivers down his spine. "Daniel, I was hoping you weren't going to force me to do this, but as you've been rather uncooperative, you leave me little choice."

"W-what are you doing?" he stammered as Vlad held out the cup of the strange green liquid to him.

"It's simple really. You're body is already in the middle of realizing what it really is. This can take some time, but I know of a way of… let's just phrase it as 'speeding up the process'."

"I don't want any!" Somewhere in the back of his mind, he knew it was a very childish thing to say, but he was absolutely terrified of whatever the drink or Vlad was going to do to him. "Get away!"

"You're in no position to give orders boy," the person holding him hissed into his ear and adjusted his grip so he could open his mouth by putting pressure on his cheeks.

Danny tried to break out of his captor's grasp, but he was far too strong. He barely managed a wiggle when Vlad poured the liquid into his open mouth. Unable to move, he was forced to drink the entire glass. Despite its sweet odor, it had a terribly bitter taste which was coupled with a burning sensation. It was enough to make him gag, and his stomach didn't appreciate it any better than his taste buds. The man who was holding him decided to let go of him, allowing him to drop to the floor, just in time to allow him to retch.

It seemed to take several long moments for him to regain control of his stomach. Once he did, he stole a look at Vlad, who seemed had a cold air of amusement around him. However, his attention was quickly taken by the figure besides the billionaire. It appeared to have a masculine shape, but it was clearly not human. Its skin had a sickly blue sheen, and its eyes were a sickening familiar soulless glowing red. An ethereal glow surrounded it as it floated a few inches off of the floor. Danny felt unnerved as recognition hit him; even though he had never seen it clearly before, this figure was the very same creature that had cornered him in the graveyard.

Vlad caught Danny's gaze and smiled. "I see you've previously met my associate, Plasmius."

Plasmius…? Why did that name sound so familiar to him? Wait… Winston had mentioned a person by a similar name when… His eyes widened as recognition hit him. "I d-don't understand…. W-why do you know it?"

"Whatever do you mean, my boy?"

"Winston… Winston said that he… it… attacked my parents. It's the reason why they're gone!" He weakly tried to stand, but his previous injuries from hitting the door suddenly seemed amplified making it incredibly difficult. "I don't understand. He said you were friends with them! Why… Why would you work with the _thing_ that took them away?"

"It's rather simple, Daniel," the creature, Plasmius, told him with a wave of the hand. Without wasting another minute, it drove straight into Vlad. Horrified, Danny stayed rooted to the spot as Vlad's eyes glowed red for a moment. As they faded, a black ring which cackled with slight discharges of energy appeared around the man's waist. It then split into two and each one passed over one have of the body: one towards the feet, the other, the head. As they passed, Vlad's being was quickly replaced with that of Plasmius'. When the rings disappeared, Vlad Masters was gone; only Plasmius remained.

There was no way he had just witnessed what he did. It had to be a dream! There was no way a man could turn into a monster! It just wasn't possible!

"Can you really not believe what you just witnessed?" Plasmius asked as it floated closer to him. Every fiber of his being was screaming at him to run, but he couldn't. His fear had rooted him to the spot, and he was about to pay for it dearly. "Vlad Masters and Vlad Plasmius are truly one in the same even if one appears human while the other, a ghost." And, as to prove its point, it summoned the black rings again. Once they disappeared, Vlad Masters carefully dropped to the floor while continuing to move. "You asked me why I attacked your family. There are several reasons, but I suppose the primary one involves you."

"W-what do you mean…? Ugh!" As he spoke, a wave of pain raced through his body, dropping him down to his knees. He tried to steady himself by using one of his hands, but it refused by slipping through the floor instead of offering support. Danny stared at his arm in horror as the translucent appearance of his hand began to spread upwards towards his shoulder.

A chuckle escaped Vlad as he watched Danny's predicament with a sickening satisfaction. "Isn't it obvious? You're a lot more like me than you realize." He paused for a moment before continuing. "Do you believe in curses, Daniel? Even if you don't, you should as you're living proof of one. Legend states a family once delved too far into their work of studying the afterlife. To make sure their secrets would never be known, several powerful spirits cursed the family. Fifteen generations would pass before a male child would be born to them who neither completely belonged to the material or spirit realms…"

"Though this boy would appear human for his first fifteen years of life, he would come into his monstrous inheritance on his date of birth and forever after walk as a symbol of chaos." Vlad then knelt down and grabbed the boy's shoulder to make it easier for him to stare into his eyes. "Do you get it now? Everything I've done was to get a hold of you and the power you will soon possess."

"Y-you're lying! There's no way…! I can't be anything like you! You're a ghost… Th-they're dead! I'm not… I'm not…!" Danny pushed the older man away from his as he scooted backwards towards the wall. None of what he… no, it, said made any sense. Curse? Spirits? Did it mean it was going to turn him into a ghost too? He shook his head to try and clear away the thought. Vlad had said he wasn't going to hurt him… but that was before he showed him what he really was. What was he going to do?

A creepy laugh rang through the room. Vlad sneered at him as his laugh died. "Whoever said you had to die to become a ghost? But, you'll find out what I mean soon. It appears that the concentrated ectoplasm I gave you is finally starting to take effect." A satisfied look crossed his face while moving towards the door. "I'll be back to check on you in a few hours. I'm sure you'll be a lot more cooperative when I return."

Danny barely noticed when Vlad slammed the door closed. His body was starting to feel like it was on fire burning, yet freezing him as it began to consume him. He convulsed as his body tried to reject the unnatural feeling, but it was to no avail. Time which was already slow within the room seemed to come to a crawl as the pain took precedence over every other thought.

Unsure what drove him to move, he tried to force himself to the bed. It wouldn't accomplish much, but its promise of comfort appealed to his wreck of a body. Every step was sheer torture, but the call of the pristine sheets was enough to force him to keep moving.

Another wave of pain rocked his body, sending him to the floor mere inches from his goal. He groaned in agony as he realized it was getting worse. In a last attempt for some stability, he desperately grasped at one of his bed posts as another convulsion coursed through his body. The pain that accompanied it was even more intense than the previous time.

He could barely move as the pain seemed to burn throughout his body. In a desperate attempt for salvation, he reached out his hand in hopes someone or thing would show him mercy and save him all the while wondering what he had done to deserve such a fate…

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><p>You have no idea how long I've been wanting to write this particular chapter! I usually don't give myself praises, but I'm honestly quite please with the way this one turned out. I just wish I was able to better distribute the quality of my chapters. Sigh. I guess editing is in order… again…. Or, maybe I should just keep writing chapters when I'm stressed…<p>

Notes: A couple of different things here.

1) Danny's thoughts and feelings being affected by the room is not as farfetched as some people might think. Prolonged periods in a purely white room can cause aspects of sensory deprivation (a disconnect with ones senses). Some people use sensory deprivation for reflection or meditation without negative effects, but it has been known to drive people insane. Eastern State Penitentiary in Philadelphia has several examples of this in its history.

2)The statistics of finding a child alive 24 hours after abduction is horrifying nonexistent. While it is true that sometimes a captor will keep the abducted child alive for years, cases like that are so rare that if the police can't find sign of the child within a day, they know they will most likely not find the child alive.

3)My toxicology class (I love it so much!) gave me some inspiration for this chapter in reference to the drink. Antifreeze does usually have a sweet odor (unless bittering agents have been added as a deterrent), and sadly, ectoplasm sometimes reminds me of it.

4)Do you recognize the last few sentences of this chapter? You should. They're a more stylized version of the opening I have in the 1st chapter.

5)I appologize for the fact this hasn't been beta'ed yet even though the chapter has been done since October (I swear, it has!). Both myself and Dragondancer123 have been incredibly busy with college... Sigh... It is the bane against creativity. But, chapter 13 is about halfway done, so another chapter should either be up by the end of the month or January depending on my work schedule and how much alcohol my friends want to shove into me... They lover parties...


	13. Perceptions

Disclaimer: I own nothing… except perhaps the giant, man-eating, Japanese eagles which were in my dream the other night….

Note: Hope everyone had a good holiday! I got homemade eggnog, which honestly the only present I need. XD Anyways, there is a bit of a warning for this chapter. There is suggestion of an inappropriate activity, but it's not explicit.

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><p>Eidolon<br>13. Perceptions

The pain was like nothing Danny had ever experienced. With each flare, his body became rigid in a desperate attempt to withstand it. He tried, desperately, to relax as the tension just added to the pain, but it was to no avail. The flares were coming in increasing intervals, and his body could not help but brace for them. It was made worse by the lingering burning sensation left from the previous attacks.

A scream escaped him as another flare, more intense than the last, forced him into an unnatural arch. He collapsed almost as soon as it was over. Gripping at the pristine carpet, he bit his lip to hold back another cry as an echo of the pain washed over him. It was difficult to tell how many of the painful flares had coursed through his body or how much time had passed since Vlad forced the unknown substance down his throat. All he understood was the pain was getting more intense, lasting longer, and affecting more of his body each time. Though he was not sure exactly how he knew, the pain he was experiencing had started on or in his skin and was progressively creeping inward, like a small camp fire slowly growing to its full potential.

He wanted to move, to run, to escape from the torture, but it was no use. The pain had left him feeling extremely fragile as if he would shatter if he attempted to move. There was no telling if the strange liquid along with the flares was actually doing damage to his body, or if his current predicament was benign. But it didn't matter anyways. Even if he did manage to move, he would just be struck down by another spasm.

Even if it did kill him, he was going to fight to the very end. He needed to know if Winston was okay, to apologize to his friends for being kidnapped, and to find out what exactly happened to his parents. He absolutely had to accomplish those before he died. There was no way he could ever face his friends and family again if he didn't.

…

Damn, it looked like he wouldn't be able to accomplish his goals after all. His body was beyond exhausted, so much so he could barely muster the strength to open his eyes. The linger burn still coursing through his abused body indicated he was still among the living. The slow and steady thumping of his heart and the rasps of his shallow breaths were the only sounds within the barren room. Each sound seemed to getting weaker as the moments crawled by, but it was difficult to tell just how much more his body could take before it just gave out.

His breath hitched as another flare engulfed his body, but it was different from all the previous ones. It was far more intense and showed no signs of stopping. His body was too overwhelmed by the sensation to even make a sound, and he briefly wondered if this was what dying felt like as the fiery pain seemed to be burning away what was left of his short life. Flashes of regret began to blend into his reality as a small part of his mind registered it was truly the end.

A strange tingling in his finger tips interrupted the pain and alerted him to a new sensation. An icy cold was beginning to seep into his hands. Did that mean the pain spasms were coming to an end? Relief washed through him but was almost immediately replaced by fear as he realized the cold wasn't a blessing. It had begun to snake its way into his body at an alarming rate, freezing the burning flesh and replacing the previously living tissue with frozen death.

The flaring pain did not dissipate as the coldness spread. Instead, it seemed to fight back against the cold to reclaim control. His body became a battle ground between fire and ice, living and dead, as the two forces warred back and forth. Cold tendrils grasped his heart and lungs momentarily halting them bringing more intense pain.

He grabbed at his chest and neck wishing there was something he could do as the fire intensified and tried to burn away the cold. His breathing quickened as he tried to keep himself from falling into the darkness which was gathering at the edges of his vision. The fire was back in control of his lungs, but it was losing ground. Within moments, the cold tendrils had wrapped themselves completely around them. As he took his last painful breaths before his lungs seized completely, he vaguely registered that the door to the room was opening as the blackness finally overtook him.

…..

Consciousness came back to him gradually. Better phrased, his concept of awareness returned. He knew he was curled into a ball while laying on something soft… a bed perhaps? He was stiff and wanted to move, but refrained due to a lingering notion… What was it…? Pain. He had been in pain before waking, but from what?

Slowly, he opened his eyes to find himself on a pure white bed with dark wooden posts. The room it was sitting in had little in terms of furniture and was also an unremarkable white color. Sitting up, his eyes caught sight of a stain on the carpet. An image stirred in his mind of a strange green substance spilling on it. Blood perhaps? No… his wasn't purely green; it was mixed with a human's red.

But wait… wasn't he human? He shook his head of the thought. It didn't seem completely right, but it wasn't entirely wrong either. He glanced at his hands in the hopes they held some sort of clue to his jumbled thoughts, but they were unremarkable: tanner than average will giving off a faint whitish glow.

Sitting up, he rested his face in his hands as he tried to piece together his jumbled thoughts. Most of his memories were blurs, flashing with momentary clarity before speeding away. Why wouldn't anything come to him? He knew someone who he didn't really like placed him in the room, but the reason behind it remained gone. Maybe some food would help him think better.

How had he not noticed how hungry he was until now? The feeling of emptiness in his stomach was enough to make him woozy. The feeling combined with a general weakness throughout his body made him feel hesitant to move lest he pass out again. Yet, he knew if he could make it to the center of the room there was something which would at least hold him over until he could find something more substantial.

Instinct eventually won out over his reason, and he forced himself to look for it. He tried to stand but nearly collapsed as soon as he started to put weight on his feet; whatever he had gone through before waking had really taken a toll on his body. Frustrated, he called upon the small reserve of energy held within his core to help take him to his destination.

Thinking it would be alright, he allowed himself to drop down to the floor, only to fall to his knees when gravity reasserted itself. Wow, he was weaker than he thought. Good thing the energy source was directly below him. He hesitantly placed a hand on the carpet above what he thought might be a large battery. He could feel it pumping out energy throughout the room under the floor and through the walls. Though it was difficult to tell exactly what the energy was, he knew it was somewhat dangerous to him. Perhaps it was designed to keep him in the room? Or maybe it was there to help prevent him from falling through the floor.

He could worry about the implications later. Right now, he needed to feed. Carefully, he pushed his hand through the carpet and wood underneath and allowed it to rest on the top of the machine beneath him. He could feel the energy start being directed from the machine and into his hand. He smiled in delight as the energy, which he now knew was electrical with some ectoplasmic properties, filled his body with power and lessened the hunger.

Vaguely, he wondered if it would be a problem if he continued to take the energy from the machine. Whoever had placed the machine there would probably be upset if it stopped working... So, he would only take a little bit more and then try to find another more viable source for later. It was a good plan, but a strange notion broke through his satisfaction. It wasn't normal for someone to put their hand through a solid object.

Panicked, Danny pulled his hand out of the floor and stared at it. He… he had just purposely put his hand through the floor! How did he…? Why did he…? He glanced down at the spot in question, hoping for some sort of answer. Nothing seemed out of place. Heck, if it wasn't for what had happened and the strange sensation telling him something was there, he wouldn't have even known the machine was just under the floor.

Confusion took over his thoughts as he rationally tried to understand how he knew it was there let alone take energy from it. He barely made any progress as he was suddenly hit with a wave of nausea. A groan escaped him as he could feel the sheen of sweat starting to form on his skin. Going from experience, he knew he was not going to be able to accomplish anything substantial until it passed. Danny took slow deep breaths as he propped himself against the bed as he attempted to wait it out.

Was this really going to continue to happen every time something weird happened to him? If so, he was really going to have to consider investing in Pepto-Bismol.

…

"Ah, I see you're awake," a cultured voice said in an offhanded way after the door to the room opened. There was a momentary pause before it spoke again, "Feeling under the weather? I can't say I blame you. Not only is your body adjusting to its new constitution, but ectoplasm isn't the friendliest of substances to ingest."

Danny could feel his eyes widen as he turned around to look at his captor. "Y-You knew about this…? W-what did you do to me?"

Vlad just smiled as he walked over and crouched down in front of him. "Of course I knew! We're the same breed after all." He then gently grabbed Danny by the jaw to prevent the boy from looking away. "I knew the concentrated ectoplasm would be enough to trigger a proper transformation. You should thank me; it would have taken you months to get this far."

"Transformation…? I don't…. What are you talking about?" He stammered as he tried to make sense of what the older man was saying as he slapped the man's hand away from him. Though he was feeling much better than he was previously, he didn't want to get too aggravated. There was no telling when his stomach was going to rebel against him again.

"You haven't realized it yet? …Or perhaps you've been too… occupied to even consider the differences in your body." Without a warning, Vlad then grabbed him by the arm and yanked him into a standing position before pulling him out of the room and down the hall. Danny barely had time to register the yellow and green décor of the hallway before he was shoved into what appeared to be an exceptionally large powder room complete with a full sized mirror. "Perhaps this will help make things clear, though I have to admit, I believed you were going to look much more impressive. Ah well, that will teach me to take complete stock in old legends."

Taking a few moments to make sure he was mostly fine before he gave the billionaire a puzzled glance. The man's response was to smirk and wave him towards the mirror and the reflection within it. Hesitantly, Danny complied though a few confused moments passed before he understood what he was truly seeing.

The boy in the mirror had a slightly tanned complexion combined with incredibly bleached (but was it truly bleached…?) snowy white hair with silvery highlights. The boy's eyes were an unnatural color; the same green of the drink Vlad had forced into him. The clothes were rather plain: straight legged black jeans with a couple accent chains and a black t-shirt with white trimming along the neck and sleeve edges. A white studded belt and black half-gloves with white cuffs completed the look.

It took him even longer to realize the image in front of him actually belonged to him. His immediate reaction was to look over his body to see if he wasn't hallucinating. How in the world did he manage to get into his current get up? While he didn't mind the overall effect (it was actually somewhat cool), he was a little more than creeped out by the implications. Glancing at the billionaire who was leaning against the door looking rather smug, Danny had to repress a shudder. No about of therapy would ever fix this.

"So… What do you think of the new you, Daniel?" Vlad asked him once he realized Danny was done taking in his new appearance.

"What do you mean 'what do I think'? How did you…? When did you….?" Danny's hands flailed as he tried to piece together a coherent question. Several more half-formed phrases were sputtered as slowly backed away from Vlad until he bumped into the sink.

The older man chuckled darkly as he watched Danny's frantic movements. "I assure you that the only thing I've done after giving you that drink was to place you on the bed. Nothing more, nothing less. Your current appearance is a product of your transformation."

"Transformation…? Is that what you're calling it?" Danny spat at Vlad as his suspicions began turning into horror. "Ugh!" Another wave of nausea overcame him causing him to stumble. Vaguely he understood his body still hadn't recovered properly which was being amplified by his panic. But, the majority of his mind just wanted to know 'why now'?

As he tried to recompose himself, his hand which was resting on the sink suddenly slipped. He was able to catch himself before he fell on his face, but quickly realized he hadn't actually slipped. Instead, his hand had decided it was a great time to become insubstantial and pass through it and part of the dark mahogany cabinet underneath. Panicking both from the event and the knowledge someone who was not a friend had witnessed the strange event, he tried to pull his arm free only to realize it had become effectively stuck.

"Panicking is only going to make the situation worse." Vlad's tone was rather matter of fact as he surveyed the scene. Danny couldn't understand how he wasn't disturbed by the sight in front of him, until he remembered Vlad wasn't just a man, he was a literal monster as well. The older man moved forward slightly with an outstretched hand. "Here, let me help you. There are several pressing matters awaiting both of us, and it saddens me to see you struggling with the most basic of your powers."

"Stay away from me! You're nothing more than a seriously crazed up fruitloop!" he shouted as he frantically tried to free his arm. Vlad paid him no mind as came over, gently grabbed his arm, and phased it out of the sink.

Under normal circumstances, Danny would have thanked the man for helping him out of such a situation. However, getting an arm stuck in a sink could never be considered 'normal.' "Get off me!" he shouted as he shoved Vlad, startling the older man. Knowing he had a chance, Danny made a break for the now unguarded door and ran down the hall in the opposite direction from where he originally came.

…

After turning yet another corner, Danny came to the conclusion he was hopelessly loss in a gigantic house belonging to a madman who was currently chasing after him. He wasn't even exactly sure how he knew the billionaire was in pursuit, but something in the back of his mind kept whispering that he needed to keep moving as Vlad wasn't too far away. It wasn't quite a flight or fight instinct as that wouldn't give him knowledge of which general direction Vlad was in, but he wasn't too sure what else to call it. Whatever it was, it was certainly useful. Even if he couldn't find the exit, he would at least be able to stay one step ahead of his pursuer.

… Well, as long as his energy held up he could stay ahead. He was still rather stiff from the pain and convulsions from prior to passing out. It also didn't help he was still nauseous, but it was starting to pass. He was pleasantly surprised. Usually, he wasn't very athletic, but he had covered an impressive amount of ground in the time he had escaped from Vlad. It was probably adrenaline, but he didn't care. Any little edge which could help him get away was very welcome.

He shook his head as he rested against a nearby wall as he gave himself a moment to relax and try to get all the images out of his head. Not knowing exactly what happened to him while he was unconscious was serious starting to freak him out, but he needed to keep his wits about him if he was going to have any chance of escaping.

A cold sensation interrupted his thoughts causing him to look to his right. Vlad was starting to get close to where he was again, but how was the man coming from that particular direction? Wasn't he coming from behind him a few minutes before hand? He shook his head again as he started sprinting down the hall. Fear was starting to eat at him as he ran. Vlad's presence seemed to get closer every time he came to another bend. It was almost as if he was moving through the walls…. It took Danny a moment to realize that was a very real possibility. If Vlad could pass through solid objects such as people, wouldn't he be able to do the same with the walls?

Danny skidded to a stop as he came to another crossway in the green and yellow decorated corridors. He was getting nowhere fast, and he only had moments before Vlad found him. Taking another quick break, he took the left hallway and started moving even faster than he had been previously. At the end of the hall was an open area, which appeared to lead to a large staircase. If he could get there, he would probably be somewhere near an exit!

There was only a few feet left until he would be able to see the new area clearly, meaning it would only take a few seconds, but his luck refused to hold out. He stumbled which caused him to fall face first to the floor.

….

Danny was incredibly disoriented as his vision cleared. He must have hit his head when he fell. Damn it! He had been so close! Wait, how long had it been since he fell? Had Vlad found him? Standing up, he found himself in a rather large room with the ceiling being exceptionally high. More than a little unsure where he was, he started looking around for an exit.

The walls of this room were even more unremarkable than the ones in the room he had been trapped in for a few days. Theses ones were a dull gray; no different than a slab of concrete. In fact, that maybe exactly what they were made of. There were no windows or apparent doors which made it feel more like a prison. Vlad must have found him and thrown him in to teach him a lesson. Damn it! How was he going to be able to escape now?

While he continued to look around, something hard stabbed him in the back. He was about to swat it away when a strange and unpleasant energy spread from the object's tip into his body. A scream escaped him as the energy burned and shocked him, creating a feeling almost equaling the pain of the spasms from earlier. Just as suddenly as they started, they stopped. Relief washed through him as he tried to recover, but it was short lived. Something hard hit his face and sent him flying into the closest wall about three feet off the floor.

Sliding down the wall was almost as bad as being hit. The wall had originally been a smooth texture, but his impact created several spider web cracks. To say the least, it was a very unpleasant feeling to slide over them as he fell to the floor. As he tied to sit up and figure out what hit him, something with that same pulsing energy as before came very close to his neck. He looked up to see a glowing green bo staff being wielded by what he assumed was a person. It appeared to have a woman's shape, but it was dressed in a protective suit… What were they called…? Hazmat…? Yes, hazmat… that sounded right.

The suit was a strange blue – gray color and skin tight. It had a hood which was pulled up over the unknown person's head, hiding the hair. Redish goggles completed the outfit and made the person's eyes seem inhuman and angry.

"Don't move!" the person hissed, moving the end of the bo staff a little closer to Danny's neck. "I don't know why Vlad sent you, but I am not going to let a ghost harm either me or my daughter!" The voice was harsh, protective, and unfamiliar, but it was female.

"Woah! Hold on a second!" Danny stammered as he eyed the glowing weapon in front of him. "I'm not going to hurt you! I didn't even realize you were here!"

The woman's eyes narrowed from within her goggles as she connected her staff with his skin once again. His screams only ended when the staff's strange energy was no longer coursing through his body. "Nice try ghost," she told him as she stabbed him with it again. "But I'm not going to fall for it! All of you are the same!"

"Wh-what are you talking about…?" Danny asked weakly as the weapon was removed. Not only were the shocks painful, but they seemed to be zapping his strength. "What ghost? I'm… I'm not a ghost!"

"Oh, and I suppose _normal_ people have unnaturally white hair and glow?"

"Hey, that was something Vlad did to me…! Wait a minute… I'm glowing?" A memory from when he first woke up in the white room flashed though his mind. He glanced down at his hands and examined them closely. It was hard to see in the light, but there did appear to be a faint white glow around his hands. "Why the hell am I glowing? What was in that drink he gave me?"

"You didn't even realize…" the woman muttered faintly as she continued to stare at him. Her expression wasn't completely devoid of malice, but at least some curiosity had made its way into it. "You're either newly formed or a really good actor… Hmm… I've never gotten to study a newly formed ghost before…"

Danny tried to scoot away from her. He didn't like how this conversation was starting to go. However, he would probably still choose dealing with the woman with the weapon and questionable sanity instead of the creepiness that was Vlad any day. "Look, I really didn't mean to bother you!" he told be quickly as once again looked around for an exit, but it was difficult due to the woman's proximity to him. "I really want to leave as much as you seem to want me to, so if you could please just show me where the door is, I'll be out of your hair!"

The woman frowned at his words as if she was making sure she had heard him correctly. She once again put her staff underneath his chin. He flinched at the touch as he prepared for another shock, but none came. He opened his eyes to see that the woman was using the staff to help her get a clearer view of his face. What was it with people doing that to him? Was there something wrong with the way he looked? Well… that was a ridiculous question to ask with his current appearance, but at least the woman wasn't shocking him this time.

"Fascinating! Your form is incredibly similar to that of a human's, and you clearly still think like one."

"'Think'? What's with this think business? I am human!"

The woman seemed like she was about to say something else, but was gently pushed aside by a smaller form with long red hair. "Mom!" the figure warned as she glanced back and forth between him and the woman. "You're scaring him!" She then turned towards Danny, smiled, and extended her hand. "Here, I'll help you up. By the way, my name is Jazz."

* * *

><p>Look! Another chapter! An extra long one at that!<p>

Finally! I got to this part! I've been planning it for a year, so success! Yes, I know it's another cliff hanger, but it was going to happen with this chapter no matter what I did. It was destined!

Um, I'm just going to point this out now. I don't support Pompous Pep, at all, or adults taking 'advantage of children' (how sick do you have to be to do that?). But with the way Vlad's acting and being very vague about the entire event, combined with Danny having no clue how he got the change of clothes adds up to Danny's suspicions. Honestly, I wasn't even expecting to add that bit in there until I started writing it and realized, "wow, this situation just suggests pedophile…. Vlad, you are a creepy man!"

Oh, and to explain the part where Danny woke up… I'm not sure how many of you are familiar with the different aspects of ghosts, but it is not unusual to see electronic equipment act up or lose power when a ghost is present. Current belief is that the ghost will somehow barrow power from a device and use it manifest itself. Some can also draw on emotions (like Spectra), but those tend to be negative entities.

And on a different note… seeing as it somewhat portrays to this… Does anyone have a suggestion for protecting a house from a spirit? My house has recently become home to… well… I'm not too sure what he is… but I'm not exactly comfortable with his presence. He doesn't do anything except watch you, and it's somewhat creepy. So, I just want to play it safe.

I'm excited for the next chapter too! There will finally be another POV switch and more potentially shocking information. And, since I finally have a decent schedule for the spring semester, I might not disappear for months at a time.

Until next time,  
>ayamari no Goshi<p> 


	14. History

Disclaimer: No, I own nothing… okay, well, nothing overly important.

* * *

><p>Eidolon<br>14. History

"Sweetie, could you hand me the socket wrench? I think it's somewhere to your left…" a woman asked as she looked up from the device she was creating to glance at her daughter calmly reading on a worn couch about twenty yards behind her.

The girl being addressed sighed but complied with the request. She moved to a nearby tablet and quickly began searching through various stacks of blueprints of various inventions yet to be invented to find the tool which was possibly lurking underneath. "Mom!" she called out rather sheepishly a few moments later, "which one is it again?"

"It's the silver one that looks like it has a nozzle on the end."

"Well… that's not very specific."

A few moments later, the girl came over to the woman's workbench and produced a few different tools. Chuckling, the woman grabbed the needed tool, placed to others on a nearby table, and thanked her daughter. Quickly, she began tightening a nut needed to keep her project together. It needed to be stable if it was going to do its job.

"Um… what exactly are you making again?" her daughter asked after a few awkward moments of examining the device.

"It's a containment unit to trap ghosts," she explained without missing a beat of her work. "I thought I had mentioned this one to you before."

"Probably, but you know it's hard for me to keep all of your various inventions straight." The girl fell silent and started to head back towards the couch. "Mom…" she called out before she had reached her destination, "If he's just going to destroy your work, why do you continue to make all of these inventions? It's not like they'll help us escape."

Now it was the woman's turn to sigh. She gently put her tools down, pushed her red safety goggles up, and turned towards the younger girl while adopting an understanding expression. "Jazz… I know what I do seems pointless at times… But, if we can manage to either trap or incapacitate Vlad, then maybe we can finally get out of here."

"But Mom, in case you forgot, we need a ghost to get out of here! That maniac put us in a room with no door, no windows, and a ventilation system way too small for a human to even consider using for an escape! Unless you've found a way to safely blast through eight feet of steel enforced concrete, even if you can incapacitate him, what good will it do?

The woman bit her lip at her daughter's words. "It does seem hopeless, but I refuse to give up. We are going to get out of here, somehow. I promise." She gave Jazz a glance conveying the conversation was finished for the moment before turning back to her work.

Dealing with a teenager was difficult on the best of days, but when she was the only completely living person the woman had contact with for the previous thirteen years or so, trying to convey hope was exceedingly she was, Madeline (Maddie) Fenton, ghost hunter and paranormal research extraordinaire trying to convince her daughter they would be able to escape, when she had been utterly trapped and neutralized by a ghost who could disguise itself as a human. If only she had realized such a thing was possible years prior, there was a chance she could have prevented their current predicament and the separation of their family.

The man had seemed nice enough when he had introduced himself to her and her husband, Jack, all those years ago. He had even helped fund their various anti-ghost projects, but it was all a sham. The man had only gotten close to them to keep an eye on their research and any children they might have. She should have seen the warning signs when he brought up that one particular legend, but she, like Jack, just brushed if off as simple curiosity.

But, soon after Maddie became pregnant with her second child, Vlad's interest in their family started to verge on obsessive. It worsened after they found out the gender of the growing child. This, his possession of one particularly old book, and the growing notion he was somehow involved in the raids on the lab by the ghost known as Plasmius had forced her to reconsider Vlad as the person who would look after her children if anything would happen to her and Jack.

About a year after her son was born, the attacks from Plasmius on their research compound and home had gotten much worse, and Vlad's behavior had gotten more eccentric. Worried, she contacted an old friend of hers who had worked with her and Jack in the past and explained the situation to him. He seemed to understand the situation and agreed to her request. Not wasting any time, Maddie sent him a copy of the new will she and Jack created so he could look over it before it was finalized. Unfortunately, she never got the chance.

Plasmius had managed to find a way to get by their security system and enter the main part of the house. Maddie barely had a chance to hide her son before Plasmius knocked her out. When she awoke, she found herself alongside her husband and daughter in what appeared to be a large concrete room with no apparent doors or windows. Little did she know it would become her prison for the next fourteen years.

When Plasmius (who revealed himself to also be Masters) demanded to know where their son was, both she and Jack refused to tell him. He appeared to take it well and left them to their own devices for a couple weeks. During those weeks, the only outside interactions they had were with the ghostly servants who tended to their needs and furnished the room. Maddie still could fondly recall the way Jack tended to attempt to attack the servants on sight.

When Vlad reemerged, he was absolutely livid. Her son had been found where she had hidden him, but the courts had refused to let Vlad anywhere near the child due to the presence of the document her friend held. While surprised the courts ruled it as official, Maddie couldn't help but be pleased. However, Vlad found it as unforgivable and took his rage out on Jack. Maddie still was not entirely sure what happened to her husband after Vlad took him, but Vlad had given her enough hints for her to understand Jack was dead.

After her husband's death, she believed the same fate would befall her and Jazz, but it never came. Vlad had developed somewhat of a liking for both of them and had gone to great lengths to keep them happy and healthy. Her concerns turned to her missing son, who was still outside of Vlad's reach. The boy's new guardian had disappeared from Vlad's sights making the hybrid furious. What Maddie never understood was why the man never used his abilities to overturn the different court orders to gain control of the child or even just kidnap him. The only thing she could fathom was either he could not properly forge signatures or it dealt with his pride as a man, if one could refer to him as such.

After about a year of imprisonment, Maddie devoted herself to three main goals: educating her daughter, escaping, and taking care of Vlad for good. When she wasn't helping Jazz increase her knowledge with the books and materials Vlad had given them, she was working on weaponry which had the potential of fighting off Vlad and his servants (though most of them were relatively harmless). Unfortunately, it seemed as if Vlad had a means of spying on her as he seemed to always know what she was making and would frequently take and/or destroy her work, forcing her to start from scratch. Though it was disheartening, she was not going to give up. From her perspective, getting a handle on Vlad was the only route of a feasible escape.

Though most of her thoughts retained to the protection of her daughter, she would occasionally wonder about her son. She had no knowledge of his life which she supposed was a good thing. The less she heard, the better as it meant Vlad was not making progress. However, there were whispers among the staff involving Vlad's interest in a recent case involving missing documents in a single parent household. Though it was probably no big deal, Maddie had an uneasy feeling every time she thought of it.

…..

An odd noise caught her attention around dinnertime. It almost sounded like a yell. Glancing over at Jazz, Maddie noted her daughter also had heard it. She looked in the direction of the noise just in time to catch someone falling from the ceiling. Unsure who had intruded into their space, she grabbed her newest completed weapon, an ecto-staff (complete with retractable edges), and slowly approached the newcomer. The person lying on the ground appeared young and completely knocked out. But, her assumption was quickly proven wrong as the figure groaned slightly before shakily standing up.

It was a teenage boy, or at least its appearance suggested it was, with startling white hair and a mostly black wardrobe. The white aura around him indicated he was a ghost, but Maddie had never seen a ghost fall such a manner which made her suspicious. Deciding to gain the upper hand in the situation before he could react, she snuck up on him while he was glancing around and stabbed him in the back with her staff, effectively shocking him. Secretly glad her invention worked, she removed the weapon from him back and then used it to slam him into the closest wall.

"Don't move!" Maddie hissed at the boy after shocking him again with the staff. "I don't know why Vlad sent you, but I am not going to let a ghost harm either me or my daughter!"

"Hold on a second!" The ghost's voice was full of fear and confusion as he held up his hands in protection. The echo in his voice made him a little difficult to understand, but it was the same with most ghosts. "I'm not going to hurt you! I didn't even realize you were here!"

Her response was to shock him again. "Nice try, ghost!" she snarled after his screams died down. Most ghosts, no matter how friendly they seemed, lied. It was in their nature to try and trick the living.

"Wh-what are you talking about….? What ghost? I'm… I'm not a ghost!"

Maddie raised an eyebrow as she studied the boy. He seemed genuinely confused; she could see it in his eyes. Was it possible this ghost didn't actually know it was a ghost? No, that was impossible."Oh, and I suppose _normal_ people have unnaturally white hair and glow?" she asked sarcastically trying to force him to admit he was lying.

"Hey, that was something Vlad did to me…!" he retorted indignantly before realization seemed to hit him. "Wait a minute…. I'm glowing?" A frown crossed his features as he examined his hands and noticed the pale light emanating from his body. "Why the hell am I glowing? What was in that drink he gave me?"

She stared at him in amazement. "You didn't even realize…" she muttered to herself as the scientist in her started to emerge. "You're either a good actor or newly formed…" Examining him more, she quickly threw out the notion he was acting. Everything about him, from his body language to the honest surprise in his shockingly green eyes, indicated his expressions were genuine. But, ghosts weren't supposed to be able to be so expressive, unless they were newly formed as they still had some recollection of their human life. If he was newly formed, it represented such a great possibility! "Hmm… I've never gotten to study a newly formed ghost before…"

The boy seemed to understand her intensions and immediately tried to scoot away from her. Fascinating! Didn't he realize he could just phase through the wall? "Look, I really didn't mean to bother you!" he told her quickly as he glanced around for an escape route. "I really want to leave as much as you seem to want me to. So… if you could please just show me where the door is, I'll be out of your hair."

Maddie didn't answer him immediately which caused him to cringe. She was far too interested in his physiology. After powering down her staff, she placed the end of her staff to lift the boy's chin. "Fascinating! Your body structure is incredibly similar to that of a human's, and you clearly still think like one." It was true. He was the most human-looking ghost she had ever seen. If it wasn't for the white hair and glow, he would look exactly like a normal teenager. Even his skin color could pass as a human's. Normally, the closest a ghost got was a sickly pale white, but this kid was actually tan. Maybe his appearance would become more ghost-like as he got older.

"'Think'? What's with this think business? I am human!"

She was about to retort when her daughter suddenly pushed her aside. "You're scaring him!" she scolded before turning towards the boy and extended her hand. "Here, I'll help you up. By the way, my name is Jazz."

The ghost looked at Jazz warily before accepting the hand. "I'm Danny," he told her with a smile as she pulled him to his feet. Maddie was surprised how easily the ghost was able to interact with her daughter. Though most ghosts could interact with the physical world, it tended to take some effort. They boy seemed to have no problems whatsoever. Maybe it was another particularity of such a young ghost. "And… I … uh, didn't mean to come in here, I promise. I was just trying to get away from Vlad…" He coughed awkwardly for a moment before he looked around. "Um, where exactly am I anyways?"

Jazz was obviously amused by his response. After patting his shoulder, she led him towards her favorite couch, an old and patched gray thing she refused to let Vlad replace. "Let's exchange information. You're obviously confused by this just as much as we are."

Maddie watched the interaction with a wary eye. While she wasn't too keen on letting the ghost get close to her daughter, it didn't seem like it was hostile. Maybe hostility was another trait which was age dependent. No matter the reason, it was still a great opportunity to study the boy. It also gave another possibility; he could have some information on Vlad she could use. So, observing was her best course of action, for now.

…

"And I thought my situation was bad!" Danny remarked after he listened to Jazz explain their situation. He leaned back, allowing himself to rest his head on the back of the couch. "I can't imagine being trapped in a place like this for so long. And there isn't any way to escape?"

Jazz shook her head. "Trust me; we've looked over this place hundreds of times with no luck."

A frowned crossed Danny's face as he considered it. "It's just like the room he had me in… except it at least had a door. Man, that guy really is a fruitloop. Why has he kept you here for so long?"

"He hasn't exactly privileged us with that information," Maddie sniffed as she stared at the ghost. While he didn't seem like a threat, she still wasn't sure he wasn't under Vlad's control. "I'm surprised he hasn't told you."

"I keep telling you I have nothing do with that guy! Not only did he kidnap me and give me this weird stuff, but Winston told me he's the one who attacked my family!"

"Hey…" Jazz quickly interrupted noticing Maddie was starting to get irritated. She inwardly smiled at her daughter; Jazz was really good at reading her mood. "You've mentioned this drink Vlad gave you a couple times now… What exactly was it?"

"Not sure…" he replied with a frown. "I was trying to break down the door to that room I was in when he came in and somehow managed to be in two places at the same time. One of the Vlads held me still while the other forced this nasty tasting green glowing stuff down my throat. Next thing I know, I'm sick to my stomach and in a lot of pain." He grimaced and grabbed his arms as he recalled the event. "After I woke up… Vlad came in and started talking about this curse before dragging me in front of a really big mirror. After catching a glimpse of my appearance, I freaked out, ran for my life, and tripped over my own feet. Next thing I know, I'm in a strange room being stabbed by that staff." He glared at Maddie. "What exactly did you do to it to make to shock people like that?"

"Hold on a moment… you 'caught a glimpse of your appearance'?" Jazz paraphrased slowly. "So, you're implying you didn't look like you currently do before getting here?"

"Yes! What's so hard to understand about that?" Danny's voice was full of frustration. "I don't know why Vlad changed my clothes and hair color. Where does that guy get off dying someone's black hair white? It's going to take forever to get all of this bleach out…"

Maddie shared a look with her daughter as Danny examined one of the snowy locks near his face. He really didn't seem to understand exactly what had happened to him, and he certainly didn't seem to realize he was no longer human. He was even sitting perfectly on the worn out couch like a regular person. Normally, even when sitting, ghosts tended to float above the piece of furniture instead of touching it.

But, there was a bigger implication to the ghost's words. He was suggesting he was still alive when Vlad had gotten a hold of him. If Vlad had indeed killed the boy than how many of the other spirits they had encountered through the years had met their fate in the same way?

"So… Danny," Jazz stated suddenly in an attempt to change the subject, "how old are you?"

He frowned for a moment before he rubbed the back of his neck in embarrassment. "Hmm… that is a good question. Since I'm not exactly sure how long I've been here, I'm not sure if my birthday's passed. If it has, I'm fifteen now."

Maddie had to turn away for a moment after listening to the boy. Usually she was unaffected by the words of a ghost, but this one was different. He was approximately the same age as her missing son. Had he been taken away from his family like hers had been? At least she was still alive and would eventually be able to try and reconnect with the boy when she eventually escaped. This child would never get the same chance.

…...

About an hour had gone by since Danny had fallen through the ceiling. While the boy was proving to be surprisingly good company, Maddie was surprised no one else had visited them as dinner time had passed. Suspicious, but not overly alarmed, she turned her attention back towards the boy.

Though Danny had initially come across as shy, he was actually rather talkative and had a good sense of humor. Even she was warming up to him, though she wasn't going to admit it. She did allow herself to politely offer him a drink from the small fridge Vlad had given them in an attempt to play hostess. Amazingly, he drank it with no apparent problem. Ghosts weren't supposed to be able to handle human foods, but perhaps since he was so young he still had something of a human constitution. She was going to have to ask the boy to allow her to study him more in depth.

While the boy was telling a joke, he suddenly gasped and shivered. "Danny… are you okay…?" Jazz asked him hesitantly as she touched his shoulder. A small gasp escaped her as she watched a faint mist form from his breath before disappearing. How peculiar. Ghosts shouldn't be able to breathe, and it certainly wasn't cold enough in the room for it to be visible.

"Someone's coming…" Danny stated as he stood up and looked at the ceiling. His breath misted again as he spoke.

Maddie looked at him curiously. "What do you mean? Are you telling me you can sense other ghosts?"

"I… I don't know… But I think it's Vlad… Great… just what I need right now…"

"Are you sure?" If this boy was telling the truth, he presented an interesting possibility. This was the first time she had ever heard of such a power.

Danny wasn't able to give an answer before Vlad phased through the ceiling in about the area where he had been staring. The man looked agitated as he glanced around the room before allowing his gaze to focus on her and the two teenagers. A smile graced his lips as he floated down to their level.

"Ah, Maddie, Jasmine, you look wonderful today," he told them as a form of a greeting. "I do hope you forgive me for dinner being late today. A certain someone disappeared, and it's been a mess trying to find him." His attentions turned towards Danny, who hesitantly backed away. "My dear boy, how did you ever manage to end up down here?"

When Danny didn't answer, Vlad rubbed his eyes and continued to talk. "Though I had planned on introducing you to the girls eventually, I was hoping you would have a much better grasp of your powers before then. No matter… In fact, this may actually work to my advantage." He glanced at back at Maddie and gave a strange smile. "So, my dear, do you recognize him? I've heard a mother will always have some sort of recognition when she encounters a child she hasn't seen in years."

Maddie narrowed her eyes at the strange comment. "What are you talking about?" She glanced to her side to check where her staff was. Drat! Why didn't she grab it when it Vlad entered the room?

"Oh, how silly of me," he said as he placed his hand over his face in feigned embarrassment. "It would be much harder to recognize him in this form. Come here, Daniel."

The boy shook his head and continued to move away. "No way! I'm not letting a sicko like you come anywhere near me again."

"When will you learn you are in no position to argue?" Vlad's tone was rather resigned as he tiredly made three duplicates of himself.

As Danny kept switching his glance between the different Vlads in a terrified manner, Maddie snuck over and grabbed her staff. She kept her movements as quiet as possible until she noticed the clones were about make a move to grab the boy. "Danny, run!" she shouted as she attacked what she believed to be the original with her staff.

"You'll regret that, woman!" the hybrid snarled as he and two of the clones turned their attention to her.

One of them shot a beam of pink ecto-energy while another disappeared. She easily blocked it with her staff, as most ecto-infused weapons could deflect such attacks, before using it to stab the air behind her. A grunt of pain told her she had hit her mark; Vlad could be so predictable some times. Bringing the bottom of the staff up from the ground, she nailed the ghost in the chin to giving him an injury somewhat comparable to that of an upper cut. She then flipped the staff to use the momentum to bring it horizontally and nail him again in the face. A satisfying crash told her he was down for the moment. One down, three more to go.

She quickly jumped back as another blast was sent her way. As soon as she landed, she had to lean back as the other Vlad involved in her fight swung a right hook at her. Recovering before he could, she swung the bottom of her staff up towards her so she could circle it and hit him. The ghost tried to turn intangible before it hit, but the ecto-energy within the staff still sent a painful shockwave through him. Bringing the bottom of the staff up, she switched the position of her hands to allow her to bring the tip down on the top of his head. Sensing the approach of another clone from behind her, she thrust the staff backwards,hitting the him, before sliding it back forwards to once again hit her previous opponent.

Quickly adjusting her hands again, she swung the staff around, much like an overly large baseball bat, catching both of her opponents as the move caused her to crouch. Bringing the rear end of the staff to the floor, she slid the tip out until it was resting under the opponent behind her as she turned around. Standing, she shifted positions and brought the end of the staff right between Vlad's knees. She could hear him slump to the floor as she turned her attention back towards the other one. Somewhere on her right, she could see the Vlad she hit earlier getting up from the floor.

The frustrating thing about ghosts was their incredible resilience. While they could be damaged with the proper weapon, they were easily able to recover if given the time. Though Vlad was somehow only half ghost, he still possessed the annoying trait making him a difficult opponent, even if she was the better fighter. And, he was an expert at distractions.

A yell somewhere to her side caught her attention. The one Vlad which had gone after Danny had finally gotten a hold of him. Vlad was trying to say something when an irritated, "Get away from him!" was shouted followed by a heavy book being thrown. Though the book easily passed through Vlad, he did give Jazz a rather irritated look.

"I would stay out of this if I were you, girl," he retorted as he raised his hand towards her. Pink energy circle the outstretched hand as he kept the other firmly attached to Danny's shirt.

"You leave my daughter alone!" Maddie shouted as she started to charge towards the fourth Vlad. Her movements were cut short as she was grabbed from behind by several hands. She struggled only to find she was effectively stuck and at least a few inches from the ground.

"Just sit back and watch the show," one of the Vlads hissed in her ear. "Struggling won't get you out of this mess."

"Now that all of the distractions are gone…" the Vlad holding Danny looked over the terrified boy rather carefully. "You've caused quite a lot of trouble today… I would be more careful in the future. You wouldn't want the people who care about you to get hurt, would you?"

Danny was barely able to mumble an answer when Vlad started sending shocks through his body. Maddie watched in horror as the boy screamed as he started to convulse. After an agonizing moment, Vlad stopped the shocks and held the limp boy by the arm seemingly waiting for something. After a moment, a dazzling blue-white ring appeared from Danny's waist. It quickly spilt in two; each half traveling along both halves of his body. When the lights died down, a completely different boy was dangling from Vlad's grasp. This one had pitch black hair and lighter skin. Even the outfit was different.

Apparently satisfied, the solitary Vlad glanced at Maddie and held up the seemingly unconscious boy. "Maddie, meet your long lost son, Daniel Fenton." He then flung the boy onto the gray couch. As he did so, the other Vlads let go of Maddie and were absorbed back into the other one. "As you can see, he has come into his birthright… though he doesn't look anything like what either of us were expecting. But, I'm not overly bothered. There are things I must prepare for him, so until I return, look after him. I dare say you should welcome this as a great time to bond with him. Ta!" With a mocking grin, he floated up towards the ceiling and disappeared.

Maddie, though no longer trapped by the ghost, was unable to move as she stared at the boy on the couch. This child… this ghost, was really her son? But how…?

She collapsed to the floor and tried to hold back her tears. She had tried to prevent this! Vlad wasn't supposed to get a hold of him! And Danny… poor Danny, she and Jack had done research to try and prevent him from becoming like Vlad, but it had all been for naught. She should have known better than to try and fight fate. But, how was she going to live with herself when the sweet boy from before became the monster from her nightmares?

* * *

><p>Another chapter done! Boy, this one's longer than all the others! Now comes a time skip… hmm… Now I have to try and figure out how to approach the next chapter. It's currently not being very nice.<p>

It was actually pretty fun to write Maddie's fight scene. I've actually taken Kung Fu in the past and was fortunate enough to learn some staff forms. With my staff currently sitting in the living room (where I usually tend to do my writing), I was able to grab it and fool around with different movements and forms to try and get a semi-realistic fight going in my mind. But, staff movements aren't easy to describe. There aren't a lot of technical terms and you can't swing them sideways without picking them up in certain ways. The circling I describe is in reference to switching staff positions/forms. Note, when you learn how to work with a staff, it's usually taller than you are.

Vlad is a master manipulator, strategist, and can fight, but knowing he tends to let others do his work, I'm fairly certain Maddie would be able to take him in a real fight if he didn't get a chance to plan it out. Sure, Maddie could have gained the upper hand on him a while ago, but that's exactly why he takes away her weapons. The staff escaped due to the ends being retractable allowing it to be stored in odd places. Yes, I thought about this.

Said chapter has yet to be beta'ed. The chapter will be reloaded once it is.

With that said, I'm done for the night. Wish me luck on my tests!

ayamari no Goshi,  
>signing off<p> 


	15. Unraveling Secrets

Disclaimer: Sorry, I still don't own DP. If I did, there would still be episodes being produced, but I can dream.

* * *

><p>Eidolon<br>15. Unraveling Secrets

"Danny… Danny… It's time to get up…"

The dark haired boy's form remained unresponsive and face down on the bed which had been brought in for him. Hesitantly, Maddie ran her hand through the boy's dark locks. After finding out the child was her son, she had wanted to keep her distance from him. Not only did she not know how to connect to him, but he was already turning into a monster. Sure, he seemed fine now, but it was only a matter of time before he was corrupted.

But, try as she might, when she saw him in such a bruised and battered form, she couldn't help herself. If only she and Jack could have completed their work… or if she had been able to expose Vlad for what he really was, then maybe Danny would have had a completely normal life. But it was useless to dwell on 'what ifs'; they held no purpose other than to draw her into a darker state of mind. It didn't matter he could still take a human appearance. The fact of the matter was Danny was no longer human, and nothing was going to change it.

Unsurprisingly, Danny was not taking the drastic change to his life all that well. He still was having difficulty understanding how he was a ghost, even though he had never died. His confusion was only made worse when he learned Vlad's abilities were gained artificially, unlike him. It was made worse by the various accidents he would have throughout the day. His body was still trying to settle from the unnatural awaking it received and would occasionally surge with power and cause one of his powers to activate unintentionally. It usually wasn't too bad, unless he managed to get his arm or leg stuck in something.

Vlad refused to give him time to adjust either. Every day, usually shortly after breakfast, he would unceremoniously take Danny and train him. Though Vlad had assured her he was only trying to help the boy gain control, Maddie remained suspicious. If Danny was simply learning how to handle his basic powers, than there was no reason for him to return covered in cuts and bruises. Both she and Jazz had tried to get him to explain what exactly Vlad was doing to him, but he rarely answered, usually due to exhaustion.

What really surprised her was how well Jazz had taken to the role of big sister. Though she hesitantly had agreed to not let Danny know they were family, she quickly began to bond with and fuss over him. At first Danny was unsure how to respond to her attention, but soon learned to accept it. The two of them were truly beginning to look like siblings. Maddie attributed it to Jazz's uncanny ability to adjust to ghosts.

For years, the only interaction she and Jazz had were Vlad and his ghostly servants who looked after them. Though she was very wary towards them, Jazz turned towards them for companionship for years. She never seemed bothered by their unnatural appearances and abilities. It even got to the point where one of the servants, a teenage ghost by the name of Ember, had become so close to Jazz, she willing tried to help them escape. The result was disastrous in more ways than one. The escape failed, and Jazz lost her friend. Until that point in time, Maddie didn't know it was possible to destroy a ghost.

Though it took time, Jazz did bounce back from the event, but she was more hesitant to become too friendly with them. Perhaps this was the reason she had latched onto Danny. Vlad needed him, so Danny was more protected against possible 'digressions' he may commit against Vlad. But, Jazz didn't know her brother was not going to remain the same, and Maddie didn't have the heart to tell her.

A slight groan indicated to her Danny was finally starting to wake. She moved away as he slowly sat up and stretched. "I don't understand it…" he finally mumbled after several minutes as he moved off the bed which had been brought in for him. "There are no clocks… anywhere… How do you know what time it is?"

Maddie raised an eyebrow at the question. "There is a chiming system built into the walls, which let us know the time. Besides, what would we do with one in this prison?"

He gave her a blank look before shaking his head. "That makes sense… I guess… But, he doesn't even have clocks in the main part of the house."

That was a surprise. But now that she thought about it, she had noticed Vlad had an odd aversion to clocks, even when he was working with her and her husband. If one were in the room, he'd either remove it, turn it around so the face was towards the wall, or cover it, depending on the size. She had asked him about it once, but he only gave a vague response about a strange and unsettling meeting he had years prior.

"Don't worry about it too much," she told as she directed him towards the breakfast table where Jazz and a stack full of fresh pancakes were waiting for them. "You'll eventually get used to it." Her tone effectively ended the conversation. It was better to leave the man's idiosyncrasies alone. "Now, what would you like to drink?"

"Okay… Oh, I wanted to ask you this last night, but I uh… kinda feel asleep before I could… Has Vlad ever showed you that book?

Maddie dropped the glass she was holding. Jazz gave a cry of concern, but she ignored her in order to stare at the boy. "Wh-what book?"

Danny's expression which had been clouded with exhaustion moments before was now focused and wary. "I don't know what it's called… but it's really old looking and Vlad's been using it like a guidebook or something. Every time we try something new he has to look at it first. Once we're done, he usually checks it out again and gets angry…"

"That's…" she stopped herself before she could say more. She knew exactly what the book was, but anyone who had been under Vlad's supervision for sometime knew to not mention it. But, Danny would have to be warned about it somehow. "I guess Vlad does somewhat consider it like a guide… There are many old stories in it…"

"So… does it have stories about people like… like me…?" A combination of curiosity and unease crossed his face. "Is… that why he looks at it so much?"

Maddie shook her head. "It's best to push it from your mind. Its pages contain dark words and are best left alone. Besides, Vlad has been known to punish people who have asked about it."

"But…!"

"Sweetie, while it's true Vlad seems to take it at face value, it's just a book," Maddie told him in a stern voice which effectively ended the conversation. It was clear he still wanted to argue, but a glare from her kept him silent. Even though she was sure he didn't know she was his biological mother, he knew there was no point in continuing. Perhaps it was a skill all kids had to some extent. She looked at him again as she regained her composure. "There's no point in worrying about it right now. You have practice later, so you might as well eat up. So, what do you want to drink?"

…

Like usual, Vlad returned Danny shortly before dinner. However, unlike the previous times, Danny didn't join them at the table. Instead, he immediately attempted to stumble towards the closest couch. As soon as his body hit the pillow, he fell asleep immediately.

Concerned, Maddie immediately went to check on him. Danny was breathing regularly and there didn't seem to be any new injuries. It was surprising; even with previous injuries, Danny was at least able to have some dinner and freshen up before resting. "What did you do to him?" she demanded of the ghost who was still lingering in the room. "You didn't let that Spectra near him did you?"

A cold glare was her immediate answer. Knowing she wouldn't be deterred, Vlad gave a suffering sigh before properly responding. "Though he will need to learn how to handle creatures like her, I was not planning on introducing them until he had better control of his abilities." He glanced at the boy before continuing. "Apparently, I have been pushing him a little too hard. Though I am anxious for the first phase of my plans to begin, there is still plenty of time. I think I can push back the boy's training for tomorrow until another day." With that, he bid her and Jazz a farewell and disappeared.

Still worried for Danny's wellbeing, Maddie tried to rouse him, but he didn't respond. "Mom… just let him rest for now," Jazz told her softly as she gently tried to pull her away. "He's breathing right? So, let him sleep for a little. You can try and rouse him a little later."

….

It was a little after one in the morning when Maddie decided it was a good time for her to turn in for the night. Looking around the room as she stood up, she caught sight of her children. Jazz had once again managed to fall asleep while reading, so she went over and pulled the covers over her. It was easy to do so as the room was never completely dark. Yes, the lights dimmed around ten at night, but they never actually turned off.

After putting Jazz's book away, she decided to check on Danny. For hours, he hadn't moved, but she was surprised to find him sitting up on the couch, staring at the ceiling. She was about to ask him what he was doing when movement caught her attention. Turning towards the source, she saw a glowing figure coming closer to them. Concerned, she grabbed her staff (which Vlad surprisingly hadn't confiscated yet) and charged it.

Mere inches from the ghost's face, a sharp cry and tug stopped her in her tracks. Glancing to her left, she saw Danny had somehow managed to get up and grab hold of her arm in just a matter of moments. "Stop! Don't touch him… err… me!"

"Wh-what are you talking about?"

Danny hesitantly let go of her once he realized she wasn't actively trying to hurt the ghost. He gestured to the ghost, which she hadn't really taken the time to examine until then. She quickly gasped when she realized the ghost was an exact double of Danny in his ghost form. The only difference was this one was holding a rather old book.

"Sweet! You managed to get it!" Danny told it as it took the book away from it. "Thanks!"

"No problem," the ghost replied before it turned seemingly turned to mist and was absorbed into Danny.

Rather terrified and more than a little startled, she stared at the boy. Words failed her, so she was just left grasping for sounds as he nervously looked down at his feet. "Wh-what…?" she eventually stuttered.

"Uh… that was a duplicate. I found out how to do that by accident a few days ago when Vlad knocked me through a wall," he mumbled as he continued to keep his head down. "But, trying to keep one stable for long periods of time is tricky, that's why I was asleep for so long…"

"You were trying to give energy to the duplicate?" Maddie asked as Danny nodded. In all honesty, she was amazed. Duplication was a rather rare technique which could only be performed by high level ghosts. The only one she had ever encountered who could do so was Vlad, but he had admitted it had taken at least ten years for it to develop. For Danny to begin tapping into it so quickly after his transformation was astounding.

As her amazement began to wane to a more manageable level, she gave the boy in front of her a concerned glance. "But, I don't understand… Why would you need to make one in the first place?" There was no answer for a moment as she realized what exactly was in the boy's hands. "That book… Don't tell me…!"

"You said he uses this thing as a guidebook."

"That doesn't mean you should have taken it!"

"I don't understand you!" Danny's head snapped up as he spoke so he could stare at her with his icy eyes which were slowly turning green, most likely without his knowledge. "You want to escape from here, don't you? Then why don't you want to know what he's planning?"

"It won't do us any good!"

"So you've just given up?" Giving an angry sigh, Danny put the book down on a nearby table and turned away from her as he began to open it. "I don't know about you, but no matter what, I am getting out of here."

Unsure what to do, Maddie just stayed silent as the boy leafed through the dark book. Though she didn't want to admit it, she had given up. Within Vlad's game, he held all of the pieces in his hands. All he needed to do was perform the necessary moves and all was lost. How could she continue to believe when there was nothing else she could do?

"Danny…" she called out softly as moved besides him as his face contorted due to the grotesques images within the book. After carefully closing it, she turned to the boy and looked straight into his eyes. "I already know what Vlad's planning… I've known it for years." It took all of her willpower to continue looking at him as she spoke her next words. "The demons depicted in there… he wants to you to become like them."

A horrified expression crossed his face, before it turned into one of disbelief and amusement. "You had me going there for a moment," he told her between laughs. "There's no way I would ever consider acting like that. Besides, I'm supposed to be a ghost, not a demon."

"You don't understand… The changes… they've already started."

xxxxxxx

It had been months since Danny disappeared, and no one had been able to make any progress. To Sam, it was beyond frustrating. Tucker had managed to uncover who had taken their friend. Heck, he even had physical proof by way of a video, but they couldn't do anything with it. If it was taken to the police, it was quite possible it would simply be dismissed or cause them to be arrested. No matter the result, it wouldn't be positive.

However, the news had managed to grab hold of the story of Danny's disappearance. Yet, instead of making him out to be a victim, they portrayed him as a criminal who was involved in the attack on his guardian and ran away afterwards. With Winston still in a coma, no one had bothered to correct them. She had tried both in writing and in person to get them to change the story, but each station refused to listen to a teenager. It appeared the truth wasn't anywhere as interesting as the lies they had created.

Unsure what to do, she had become even more withdrawn and moody than usual. It was so bad that even Tucker was giving her space, though he wasn't completely avoiding her. Usually he would send a message to her once a day letting her know his progress in trying to bypass Vlad's security and get into his computer system at his mansion. For unknown reasons, he kept having difficulty, but he was bound and determined to find a way in.

She had tried to come up with plans which would allow her and Tucker to infiltrate Vlad's mansion and rescue Danny, but none were feasible. She also had to keep in mind the ghosts who had gone after Danny. Not only were they dangerous, but she had no idea if they were involved in the kidnapping or not. But, if they were, she had no way of fighting back against them even if she could find Danny.

Beyond frustrated and unsure what to do, she began taking long walks to try and clear her mind. Though her parents frowned upon due to the recent unsettling events within the town, they had decided to not interfere. Sam guessed that even her overly perky parents couldn't handle her rather current mood for more than a few days at a time. Smart move on their part. But, if they knew exactly where she tended to go, they would interfere.

Though she didn't particularly like the place, she was constantly wondering around the cemetery, much like Danny used to do. Sure it was peaceful, dark, and rather deserted, she didn't exactly like being so close to the dead for long periods of time, especially if she was alone. It unnerved her more than she cared to admit, and it wasn't entirely from past events. But, the location helped clear her mind, and she had a secret hope she would spot Danny near one of the trees. It was where she had first found him, and it just felt right it would be where he returned.

Yet, he was never there. Just like this particular evening, she had wondered around without finding a living soul. Deciding it was a little too early to head home, she decided to take a break on one of the many benches scattered throughout the grounds.

Glancing upwards, she caught sight of the emerging stars. The temperature would begin dropping drastically soon and with the recent snowfall, it would be more than a little cold. Sighing, she stood back up and began moving back towards the entrance. It wouldn't do her or Danny any good if she managed to get sick from the weather.

As per habit, when she neared the location where she first met Danny, she gave a quick glance. Of course there was nothing, but as she was about to turn away, something caught her attention. Unsure what exactly it was, she stopped moving and continued to look at the spot. After a few moments, Sam shook her head and continued walking. She was being silly.

_Sam…_

She stopped dead in her tracks. Someone had just called her name… but she was sure there was no one else in the area. Pulling her coat a little tighter around her form, she tried to suppress her shivers from both the chilly air and her nerves. It must have just been the whispers of the wind. With her being so stressed she must have mistaken the sounds.

_Sam… Please…_

There it was again, and it definitely wasn't the wind. Scared, she spun around in an attempt to find the person who had to be playing a trick on her. But again, she only found the general scenery of the cemetery. "Whoever it is, this isn't funny!" she shouted, as she tried to convince herself it had to be a person. Why would a ghost know her name? There wasn't anything special about her which would attract them, or at least she hoped not.

"Sam… it's me…."

The voice came from directly in front of her, but there was still no one there. Having too much past experience with ghosts, she knew it wasn't a good idea to ignore the possibility one was truly there. She wanted to run, but it would easily be able to catch her… and Danny wasn't around to save her again.

Wait… Danny. It couldn't be, but the voice did have a similar sound to his, though it was distinctly otherworldly. It almost seemed like the owner was speaking from the back of a cave. It was low and had a distinctive echo. But, unlike the other ghosts she had encountered, it did not seem overly hostile. Swallowing her fear, she finally spoke back. "I don't know who you are, but you better show yourself!"

After a tense pause, she looked around for something… what, she wasn't entirely sure. Nothing had answered her, which was almost as unsettling as the voice coming out of air. Chuckling at her idiocy, she began walking again. She really needed to find a way to relax; the stress of trying to find Danny was starting to get so bad she was starting to hear things.

She had made it a few yards when she felt a hand gently grab her shoulder and turn her around. A scream escaped from her lips as she fell and scooted away from the figure who had suddenly appeared out of thin air. He appeared to be around her own height with striking white hair and vivid green eyes. His clothes seemed normal enough; they were black with white accents in a style which almost resembled that of a more reserved rocker though they were partially concealed by a large book he was holding. But, soon she realized he wasn't wearing a coat and seemed unfazed by the cold temperature. However, the truly unnerving aspect about him was the strange glow which surrounded his body, immediately indicated he was a ghost.

"…I'm sorry…" he said carefully as he winced. "It tends to take me a little bit of time to become visible. I'm not all that good at this yet…" He carefully moved towards her and held out his hand. "Are… you okay?"

Sam just stared. Was this ghost honestly offering to help her up? Unsure what exactly to do, she decided to study him more. He was extremely human looking in appearance. If it wasn't for the glow, he could easily pass off as a teenager with an extreme rebellious streak. Though it was rare, she had encountered a few goths who had actually dyed their hair white. He was also standing on the ground as if it was perfectly normal. Though she had seen the other ghost, Skulker, do the same, it didn't seem as natural.

"You look like you've seen a ghost," the boy said with a grin as he realized he she wasn't going to take his hand. Sam once again just stared. Did he really just say that? "Sorry," he said quickly as he chuckled, "I couldn't resist. But, I promise I won't hurt you."

"What's with that look?" he asked when she just raised an eyebrow. "Sam, I just want to talk to you… and I don't have a lot of time to do it."

"Why do you know my name?" Sam asked as she slowly got off the ground. Unsure if he would keep to his word or not, she watched him carefully the entire time she moved. But, he remained still and stared at her with wide eyes.

"You don't… you don't recognize me…" The boy was clearly upset by his revelation. Though he didn't say anything immediately, Sam could tell he was deciding how to approach the situation. Eventually, he sighed and looked straight into her eyes. "Sam… It's me, Danny."

Shock quickly turned to anger. "How dare you!" she hissed at him. "How dare you pretend to be my missing friend!" Ignoring the idea it was probably a stupid thing to do, she threw a punch at the ghost. Unsurprisingly, she did not hit a solid target; instead she felt as if she was passing through an extremely cold block of pudding and lost her balance. However, instead of hitting the ground, a cold hand managed to catch her and keep her from falling. Spinning around, she tried to hit the ghost, who simply let go of her and held up his arm in defense. His other arm was still keeping hold of the book.

"Look… I'm sorry, Sam! But I can't appear in my human form right now… it's not safe!" he said quickly as he looked at her from under his arm.

Hesitating at the look he gave her, she didn't immediately swing at him again. If she got past the unnatural appearance, he did look somewhat like Danny. No! She couldn't think like that! If she accepted that the ghost in front of her was the same as her friend, than it meant that Danny was… he was… !

Her thoughts were interrupted as the ghost shoved the book he was holding at her. Instinctively, she caught it and was surprised to find how heavy it was. Confused and still angry, she looked at the ghost who was giving her a pleading look. "There's not a lot of time until he finds out that I'm gone. You need to take this… It will give you some idea of what Vlad's planning… and though I hate to say it, but I think that picture we found here the day after I met you and Tucker came from this book." He paused for a moment as he looked to the side as if he heard something before turning back to her. "Just be careful… It's not the sort of book you would read as a bedtime story."

As he moved away from her, she tried to process what she had just heard. "How do you know about that picture…?" she asked as that notion became the dominate thought in her mind.

"Sam… I was there, remember?" he said impatiently. "We found it after you and Tucker found out that Winston's my guardian and not my actual parent. But, that doesn't really matter right now. You've got to try to stop Vlad from the outside… Not only is he planning something big, but there are others he's held captive."

"Others? Vlad? What are you talking about?"

He just shook his head. "I'm sorry, I wish I could explain better, but I can't stay any longer. It's too dangerous." As if that was the cue, he began floating a few inches from the ground. He gave her a longing look before raising his hand, almost as if he was saying 'goodbye'. "I hope this isn't the last time I get to see you… Try to stay safe." Without another word, he vanished as suddenly as he appeared.

"Wait…!" she cried out as she tried to stop him, but she was unable to tell if he was still around or not. Though she really didn't want to trust the ghost, she did have questions for him. How in the world did he know about the picture she, Danny, and Tucker had found? He apparently even knew about the events leading up to the discovery. Did that mean he was really Danny?

She really didn't want to believe it, but she was starting to get a sinking suspicion it was truth. Maybe when she went home and was able to gather her thoughts, she would have a better understanding of the situation. Not just of the ghost's identity, but also of the other information and various questions swimming through her mind. But, she did know one thing for a fact: Tucker was never going to believe her.

* * *

><p>It's finally done! This chapter was notoriously hard to write… apparently February into early March is a terrible time for writing. Anyways, it's done and out of the way. YES! And it's somehow insanely long for one of my chapters…<p>

Again, both sections have a bit of a cliff hanger. I do appologize to those of you who don't particularly care for them, but these are not intended. They just happen, unfortunately.

With this story being temperamental at the moment, it may take me a bit to come out with the next chapter, especially with April being rather booked with various issues… like finals, 2 major presentations, 2 or 3 papers, and me staffing for the local anime convention, Tekkoshocon. Also, in May, I will not be in the country…. Family vacation.

On a related note, I will be certified to give first aid and CPR by May… which I find oddly exciting for some reason.

Well, enough about that. On to brainstorming!  
>~Goshi<p> 


	16. Information

Disclaimer: Does it look like I've managed to buy the rights to DP? Heck no! Schooling has prevented me from gaining the money or the time to do so.

Oh, fun fact! David Kauffman, the person who plays Danny in the show, also voiced a character by the name of Dexter Douglas in the WB show Freakazoid! If you've never heard of it, go check it out! It's fun, random, and chalk full of crazy superhero goodness!

* * *

><p>Eidolon<br>16. Information

"So, do you believe him? And, since when is a ghost a 'he'?" Tucker asked Sam as he lounged on the plush carpeting in her room after she told him of her ghostly encounter the previous night.

Sam sighed as she tried to put her thoughts together. She had called the boy as soon as she had gotten home from the cemetery to inform him of what happened. It had been too late for him to come over at the time, but it didn't stop her from demanding him to come over as soon as he woke up.

"I really don't know," she finally admitted. "He didn't seem like he wanted to hurt me and even offered to help me up after I fell. And, he really did just seem like an oddly dressed boy who happened to be glowing." Unsure how to continue, she stood up from her spot near Tucker to retrieve a picture from the dresser. She had taken it the day prior to Danny going missing, and it was the only picture she had with him in it.

Bring the picture back over to her seat, she showed it to Tucker. "This ghost did look incredibly like Danny, save for the difference in hair and eye color. Tucker… I don't want to believe it, but he seemed too familiar with me. He even knew about the day we found that old picture. It… it really did seem like he was Danny…"

Tucker was silent as he examined the picture. "I wasn't there, so I'm not able to draw any conclusions. But, this ghost did give you something, right? If this is a clue as to what's going on, we might as well use it. Have you glanced at it yet?"

Sam bit her lip as she once again rose, only this time it was to retrieve the book and the old picture they had found. "To be honest," she stated as she placed it on the floor, "I haven't been too keen on opening it. The phantom from last night gave a rather vague warning about its contents." Even if he hadn't warned her about it, she probably wouldn't have opened until Tucker came anyways. Something about the very appearance of it was unnerving.

"Wait, the master of all dark and creepy is having second thoughts about a simple book? This has got to be a first!"

"Tucker, will you be serious for once in your life!" A faint blush crossed her cheeks as she pushed her friend over. She hated admitting when something bothered her which Tucker knew. He loved calling her out on it when he could which did little more than agitating her more. "The thing's written on animal leather for crying out loud! How else am I supposed to act?"

"Alright, alright!" Tucker just raised his hands as an attempt at an apology. "I get it. If it makes you feel better, I'll handle turning the pages as we look at it."

…..

Sam just couldn't believe what she was reading. The book… no, it was much too disturbing to actually be called a book; grimoire might be a better designation. The writings contained within it were a strange combination of mystic writing, images, and stories. Though it might seem like a bunch of nonsense to someone just hearing about it, the tome itself was rather grotesques with its depictions. Parts of the text had become too faded to read, but what could be gathered was disturbing enough.

The main part of the tome spoke of a family which who had incurred the wrath of the spirits. A curse had been laid upon them in punishment for their deeds. The best Sam could gather (and Tucker would look into it more later), the curse would cause the family to produce a son who would be trapped between the spirit and material realms. This son would use his accursed powers to bring about the end of the world. The other writings either went into more details about his appearance or abilities or suggested spells to summon spirits which could be used to assist in darker deeds.

Placing the book as far away from her as she could, Sam just wrapped her arms around herself as she tried to digest the disturbing information. The ghost had told her it would give them an idea of what Vlad was planning, and if Vlad was really using the book as a guide than he must be planning to use the boy the book described. Did that mean he was still looking for the boy? Or did he actually have him? Wait… it couldn't be!

"Does… does that mean Danny's the boy this thing described…?" Sam exclaimed in a hushed voice.

Tucker looked at her sharply causing her to look away. She hadn't meant to speak out loud. "It would explain a lot," he said in a dry voice. "I mean, we knew the day he saved us he was something other than human."

She nodded as she allowed herself to recall the memory. Nothing about what happened had made sense at the time. Danny had managed to fight off the ghost who was threatening them and somehow transport them back to her house. His appearance had also changed some as his power over took him. A gasp escaped her as she recalled his appearance. "Tucker…! That night, Danny's hair had become white and his eyes were green, just like the ghost from last night! But, how! Danny saved us! He's not evil! There's just no way he could be!"

"Sam, just calm down! You're jumping to conclusions here!" After waiting a moment to see if she would have another outburst, he continued to speak. "I'm going to do a little more digging, but I think we can safely assume Vlad seems to think he can get a hold of the person… ghost… thing described in this book. As for Danny… it's difficult to say for sure. We know he is something other than human, but it doesn't mean he's the same." He paused again as he tried to adopt a comforting expression. "Besides, if that picture you found is anything to go by, Danny doesn't look a thing like him."

It took her a moment to understand his last sentence, but she couldn't help but chuckle when it came to her. It was true; Danny didn't look a thing like the terrifying image they had found. Even if the ghost she had encountered was Danny, he was still just as scrawny as ever. The depicted creature was bulky and flaming. The boy's hair may have turned white, but it certainly wasn't on fire. "Well, at least it's better than having nothing," she told her friend."But, now what? We're back at square one."

"Not necessarily," Tucker countered causing her to stare at him. "At least we now have a place to start looking. We might not know why exactly Vlad took Danny or what Danny really is, but we know what he wants. I'm going to head home and starting poking around. I'm also going to try to see if I can hack Masters' estate again. I'll call you later tonight to let you know what I found."

"Sure…." Confusion was noticeable in her tone. It was rare to see Tucker so determined to do something which didn't directly involve his technology. It just went to prove how worried he was about Danny.

The boy quickly picked himself up and moved towards the door. Before he went through it, he glanced back at her with a serious expression. "I'd hide that book if I were you. That ghost apparently went through a lot to try and get it to you. If it really is Vlad's, I'd hate to see what happens when he finds out it's missing."

"I hadn't thought about that," she admitted as she hastily closed the book and stood. The two friends then said their goodbyes and went their separate ways. Tucker headed towards the front door of the large estate while Sam sat on her bed and wracked her brain for ideas of where to hide the tome in her hands. She had to make sure she would be able to locate it again, but no one else, especially her parents or Vlad would be able to find it. She stood as an idea came to her. She would just ask her grandmother. The woman had a knack for hiding items her son and daughter-in-law could never find, so she was perfect to ask.

After carefully placing the grimoire under her bed, she quickly went to go find the old woman. Even though she had an idea where to find her, there was always the chance she was not there. Though her grandmother was confined to a wheelchair, it did not stop her from managing to find her way to places which were supposedly off limits to her. It always infuriated Sam's parents, which was probably the main goal.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Everything was fuzzy as he opened his eyes. After blinking a few times, an unfamiliar white ceiling came into focus. Confused, Winston glanced around to his side, noticing his body felt incredibly stiff as if he had remained still for far too long. The room he was in was not one he had ever seen before, but judging by the lack of decorations and the faint hint of antiseptic in the air indicated he was probably in some sort of hospital.

Why exactly was he here? Why wasn't he at home?

Knowing he would not get any answers by continuing to lie still, he tried to sit up. It was going well until he noticed a strange pulling sensation on different parts of his body. Concerned, he looked down at his body to find various tubing in his arms. That was bad enough, but pristine bandages were notable on his arms and the small bit of his torso he could actually see. Whatever happened to him must have been horrendous. At least there wasn't a tube sticking out of his throat; that would be overkill.

At least it now made sense why he was in the hospital; now he just had to figure out what caused all of it. He leaned back as he tried to recall what happened before everything went black. Flashes of colors and sounds quickly came and went without much definition. Did this mean he was going to have to recover more before he would be able to properly recall it? He hoped it wasn't the case. He was a military man who prided himself on recalling details.

His frustrations were put aside as a shriek penetrated the silence of the room. The next thing he knew at least ten different medical personnel were surrounding his bed and staring at him. What started next was a barrage of questions and tests which took up the next several hours of his time.

…

While the tests had been frustrating, at least he had a better understanding of his condition. He had been found with numerous severe injuries on his body in his home. When he was brought in, he was in critical condition, and the staff was honest enough to admit they were very surprised he was recovering. Most of them did not believe he survive the first few nights. His body was covered in odd burns and one of his lungs had been punctured. In truth, the staff couldn't really explain what had caused the injuries. All they knew is what the police had told them: he had been attacked by an unknown person using an unknown weapon one night several weeks ago.

Knowing they would not be able to help him piece together what exactly happened, he changed tactics and asked them about Danny. Any person he asked would just give him a strange look and tell him someone would be in to discuss what he had missed later. It was unnerving. If this continued, he was going to have to corner someone. Danny was his ward, and if something happened to the boy, he wouldn't be able to live with himself.

Several more hours would pass before he received any answers, and those answers came by means of a stern-faced police officer. After introducing himself and assuring the hovering medical staff he just wanted to ask some routine questions, he sat down near the bed and tried to explain what the police force knew about his attacker. Irritated, Winston interrupted the man and demanded to know Danny's location.

The officer took a deep breath before he spoke again. "The day you were brought in, we took Daniel down to the station to question him."

"You what?" Winston demanded, wincing from the strain placed upon his damaged throat. While he was in surgery, the doctors had placed a breathing tube in his neck. Sure procedures usually did damage, but it would be a while before he knew how bad it really was. "Danny wasn't even home when I was attacked! He was at his friend's house!"

"I understand that. It is standard procedure to question family members after an attack for any information which may help us."

Winston relaxed slightly at the explanation, but he narrowed his eyes. "There's something else you're not telling me."

"You're very astute," the officer complimented with a slight nod. "Though I hate to admit this, your ward went missing shortly after we released him from questioning. From what we can tell, the last place anyone had seen him was in the police station. We have records of him making a phone call to one of his friends… and the trail goes cold from there."

"Danny's missing? How could you let him go like that?" Anger coursed through him as he tried to rise out of bed, which immediately alerted the medical staff. Several of them ran in and tried to restrain him as he continued to yell at the officer.

"Sir, my department takes full responsibility for what happened. We keep trying to find some sign of him, but there is very little evidence to go by. It's almost as if he just vanished from the station!"

Winston stopped struggling as the officer's words sparked something within him. Images flooded back of the strange creature who could disguise himself as a man who appeared to him that night. It was Vlad! He had attacked him so he could get to Danny!

His eyes widened as another thought came to him. If he had been asleep for as long as they said, then the boy's birthday had already passed. Did that mean the little boy he had raised had turned into the foreseen monster? If it was true, than he had failed in his duty both to the boy and to his missing parents. How could he have allowed this to happen?

The medical staff realized he had finally calmed down, but there was talk of them retrieving a sedative. After warning the doctors to leave him alone until he finished talking to the officer, he looked the uniformed man directly in the eyes and told him what he remembered about when he was attacked. He left out the paranormal parts, as what rational man would ever believe such words unless he had seen it for himself.

The officer sat in a stunned silence after Winston finished his story. "That's quite an accusation," he eventually stated after he jotted something down in the notebook he was using. "Are you positive it was Masters who attacked you?"

Winston nodded vehemently. "He's a difficult man to mistake. About a month before all this occurred, his company started contacting me about Danny's situation. Some of his adoption papers had gone missing… and Vlad had tried to gain custody of the boy when his parents first disappeared, so it seemed like he was trying again. Danny had even mentioned he had found the man standing in our kitchen when he returned home with his friends the one day."

A frown crossed the other man's face as he made another note. "Daniel's friends had also mentioned something about that, but we had just set it aside. But, I don't think we can ignore that anymore." The officer asked a few more routine questions before he excused himself after promising he would return at a later time.

…..

A day or so later, he wasn't exactly sure due to the disorienting nature of hospitals, he received some unexpected visitors. When the nurse told him about them, he immediately assumed they were just more police officers and quickly agreed to have them come into the room. He was immensely surprised to see two teenagers, one boy and one girl, approach his bed. He recognized them at once; they were Danny's friends.

"How are you doing?" Sam asked gently as a form of a greeting as they approached the bed.

"It looks like I'll live," he replied in a semi-cheerful tone. "So, what have the two of you been up to?"

The two teens gave each other a look. It was almost as if they were having a silent discussion on how much they should say. "Well, we're doing our best to try and figure out what happened to Danny," Tucker told him as a serious look crossed his face. "We think Vlad Masters had something to do with it."

"I'd say so." Winston's dark tone received two startled looks. "I guess you weren't expecting me to agree with you. Vlad… or should I say Plasmius… has been trying to get his hands on Danny for years. After attacking me, it must have been smooth sailing for him to grab Danny."

A surprised silence filled the air before Tucker spoke again. "Wait… Vlad was the one who attacked you? But how…?"

Winston smiled despite of himself. Though Danny's friends were still children, they did appear to have a genuine concern for him. After debating how much he would say to them for a moment, he decided to tell them the whole story of attack, including Vlad's duel nature. It was possible they would think he was insane, but something told him they had already gotten a taste of the supernatural. How couldn't they? They were friends with Danny.

….

"Wait, so Vlad's this super powerful, crazy, half-ghost villain? How did I miss this? He has all the signs seen in the comics too," Tucker muttered to himself as he accepted the information. "Wait a minute! Sam, doesn't his description sound kind of familiar?"

"Now that you mention it… Vlad's 'ghost form' does seem similar to what Danny and I saw in the cemetery that one day." The goth girl's expression had gone rather contemplative. "But if that was really him, why didn't he just take Danny? I mean, he… it… whatever it was could easily have just taken him."

"Your guess is as good as mine. I won't even pretend I understand how that man's mind works," Winston admitted. "He's been planning this for years, so I assume he wanted to take Danny when the situation was perfect. He really doesn't seem to like witnesses. But, that's just an assumption on my part."

"Um… Mr. Wolfe, sir... this has been bothering me for a while, but why does he want Danny anyways?" Tucker hesitantly asked.

It took a moment for him to answer. "You've probably noticed that there was something different about Danny. Now, I'm not exactly sure how much you know or saw, but Danny's situation isn't much different than Vlad's… well, at least that's what I was told."

"I'm not exactly sure what you mean… but if it helps, we did read the creepy old book a ghost gave me the other night," Sam supplied.

Winston gave her a searching look. Did she mean what he thought she meant? "What book?"

"The ghost said it would help us figure out what Vlad was planning."

The man ran his fingers through his hair as he gave a wary glace towards the teens. "Then you read the story of the monster." Without even waiting for an affirmative, he continued to speak. "Everything points to Danny becoming the thing depicted there. His parents… they somehow knew he would be cursed and did their best to research a way to prevent it… which clearly failed."

"Whoa! Back up! You're telling us that Danny's parents knew what he was… or is…?" The boy's concern was understandable. Winston felt a pang of sympathy for the boy. It must be hard to accept such a story, especially when it involves a friend.

Winston nodded. "Something tells me you had your own share of odd experiences around Danny." He released as sigh as he leaned back against his pillow. "We need to exchange information, but that's going to have to wait. Knowing the doctor's here, they're not going to allow much more time for us to talk."

"But…!"

He held up his hand as a way to silence the two teens. "Trust me, I'm just as worried about Danny, but there isn't much I can do about my current situation right now."

There was a little more argument between the three before a handful of doctors and a rather angry nurse burst into the room. As the nurse scolded him for getting so riled, the teens excused themselves and promised they'd be back at a later date. They needed to exchange information, but there was no way anything would be able to get anything done until the doctors were convinced he wasn't going to fall over dead at any moment.

A sigh escaped him as he started to tune out the doctors' murmuring. He needed to help rescue Danny from Vlad, but how was he going to do that? He was rather incapacitated at the moment. On top of that, Danny was probably already going through changes. Who was to say he would still be the same person when they finally got to him? It was a terrifying thought. If the boy did become that monster, than it would probably become his responsibility to stop him.

If that possibility became fact, would he really be able to handle it? At that point in time, he didn't have an answer, and there was the distinct possibility he probably never would.

* * *

><p>This took forever to write! I'm sorry for the delay, but my mind decided to cut off any inspiration it might have. I know it probably feels like a filler, but certain things do have be set up before progress can be made. But, in terms of other news, I am about to take my last finals, ever! (no, I'm not graduating yet, I still have one more year. It's all field work though) And, take a trip overseas. Maybe the gorgeous Irish countryside will inspire me. And castles. I love castles! :D<p>

Oh, and I'd figure I'd mention what a grimoire is. Traditionally, it is just a book of spells or immense knowledge which can either be directed towards good or evil. There are many legends about them, but my mind has decided to turn towards the darker side. Some were said to contain so much evil they had a life of their own and could devour the memories or lives of their owners. Scary stuff!

And, the reference of the damage of the breathing tube is a real thing. When a person is having severe trouble breathing or during certain intense surgeries, a breathing tube will be surgically placed in the throat by making an opening in the neck. Since that's the area of the vocal cords, it has a bad habit of causing damage to them. A person's voice can be altered by such surgery. I'm actually pretty lucky… I came pretty damn close to having to go through that in November of 2011. Allergic reactions suck!

Well, that's it for now. I don't quite know when my next update will be, but I will be unavailable from May 4th through the 13th.

Goshi signing off.


	17. Strategy

Disclaimer: I own nothing! Wow… I think that sums up most of my college experience too.

Author's note: Hmm… I had started this chapter before I went on vacation, but I couldn't find what I did with it… which partially explains my lateness with getting this out. I think fried nerves due to work and problems involving impending rotations were the main problem though.

I'd also like to put a cover picture up for this story. Any suggestions?

And to Anon-Chan: Thank you very much for your review. I do appologize for not being able to update faster, but with me holding down a job and being in college, sometimes I have to put writing on hold to visit the real world. I don't like it out there very much, but I can't make it go away. With all the added stress about to start, I'm going to do my best to make time for writing. The stress relief will be much needed.

* * *

><p>Eidolon<br>17. Strategy

"You two seem awfully happy. I take it something good happened?" Mr. Wolfe light heartily asked as a form of a greeting as she and Tucker ran into the room.

"Yeah! I finally managed to convince the police to let me legally look at their footage from the night Danny disappeared." The pride in Tucker's voice was clearly evident. After Winston's testimony of Vlad's attack, the police had decided to reinterview both her and Tucker. Somehow, Tucker had even managed to convince the police he might be able to clean up the surveillance video enough to help out. With the police present, he used the same method he had done before to bring up what he could of that night. The police were surprised, but please about the turn of events and began building a case against Vlad. There was still a problem though; due to his powerful situation, the police wanted more information before the charged in. A false move on their part would make the man untouchable due to the press. It was for the very same reason that the police were conducting their work in secret.

Sam kept silent as Tucker explained the current situation. So much was at stake to just leave finding Danny to the police. The proof was right in front of her. Winston had suffered horrible injuries at the hands of Vlad Masters, and with the new knowledge of his strange abilities, it seemed unlikely the police would be able to catch him. Even if they did manage to get a hold of him, the man would probably just manage to weasel his way through the legal aspects.

Her eyes widened as a thought came to her. It was risky, and probably wouldn't amount to much, but it was worth a shot. "Guys," she spoke up suddenly, making both Winston and Tucker stare at her. "I might have an idea of how we can find Danny."

….

About twenty minutes later, Sam had finished laying out the basis of her plan. She bit her lip as she waited anxiously for their opinions. It wasn't the perfect plan, but since it seemed like they were running out of time, it was probably the best they could do.

"So, let me get this straight," Tucker stated slowly he went through the plan again. "You want your dad to act as Mr. Wolfe's lawyer and go to Vlad's house. You and me will tag along with him, and when those two are doing business, we are to sneak around the house and try to find Danny. Is that right? Cuz, it seems a little crazy to me."

"Not to mention dangerous," Winston added. Though he seemed displeased, Sam could tell he was still considering the different aspects of her idea. If anything, he was the one who would determine if it could work or not. Not only did he know Vlad the best, if she remembered correctly, he also had military tactician training.

The older man suddenly looked up and stared at Tucker. "You had mentioned that you've been trying to hack into Masters' estate. Have you had any luck?"

"Yes and no," Tucker answered as he brought out his PDA. "It took a while, but I finally managed to get into the system, but I still can seem to get into any security footage. It's weird, but Vlad seems more protective of that than anything else. I could probably shut down his system and try again as it rebooted, but that would be more obvious. I've been trying to avoid doing that especially because I don't want that dude anywhere near my house, and…"

"Wait… so you're saying you could shut down Masters' entire estate?"

"Yeah. It takes a little longer than a normal place, but it's possible."

"Tucker, you're absolutely amazing." A smile spread across Winston's face as he looked back towards Sam. "You're plan might actually work. You're going to need permission from the police before you start making preparations though."

"Wait, you're actually cool with this?" Sam was in shock. In honesty, she thought she would probably have to do it alone if Winston and Tucker didn't agree with her, but to have actual support! It was going better than she expected, but her eyes narrowed as she registered the implications of police involvement. "But, the police are never going to allow two teenagers to get involved."

"It might take some convincing on their part, but I think we can make it work. Police offers have used friends and family to gather information on suspects in the past. If all you're going to do is look around the mansion while the power goes out, I don't think they'll mind too much. Well, other than them getting over Tucker's hacking abilities." He looked over at the boy. "You know they're going to be watching you after this."

Tucker just waved him off. "Like they'll be able to catch me."

"Besides," Winston continued," the police are desperate to bring Vlad in for questioning. They are looking for anything which they can use to get a valid warrant. The only thing which is problematic is what you can say to Vlad which could convince him you're not there to snoop around his house."

Sam frowned as she thought about it more. "Actually, maybe that's what we should use. Vlad knows we know Danny. It would make sense that we would want to see where we think he's being hidden. Vlad might think he can use it to show he doesn't know where he is, but if Tucker creates a big enough distraction, maybe we can find something he didn't hide all that well."

"You could be right," Winston conceded. He sighed as he glanced at the clock on the wall, "but, we're not going to have much more time today to consider this seeing as the nurses will be in soon to check on me. You'd think they'd wait until my visitors were gone, but they have to stay on schedule." He made a face which caused Sam to chuckle. "We will discuss this more tomorrow. Hopefully by then we can find a way to make this work."

xxxxxx

He was in an incredible amount of pain. Cuts and bruises of all sizes and severity littered his skin. Due to the odd changes in his body, the injuries would normally heal themselves within hours (though the rate did seem to depend upon severity), but an unknown substance in the cuffs around his wrists prevented it. He wanted to voice his pain, but it would just go against his beliefs. To cry out would mean he was sorry for the actions Vlad had deemed inexcusable. Instead, Danny was going to stare his tormentor in the face and keep silent as he received another round of punishment. His friends needed to know what the madman was planning, and there was no way he was going to consider that wrong.

It was difficult to say exactly how long he had been receiving the punishments. He knew they had started shortly after he had returned to the manor from his trip to Amity Park. An extremely livid Vlad was waiting for him in the giant stone room he shared with Maddie and Jazz. While it was true he could have made a break for it while he was free, it didn't sit right with him. While he couldn't be sure of the reason, he had a hunch the girls would be punished for his 'subordination.' Danny wouldn't have been able to forgive himself if that had happened.

Vlad's initial response to the incident was to demand the return of his book, but when it became clear it was no longer on the premise, the man viciously attacked. Danny had little recollection of exactly what occurred. When he awoke, he was locked in one of the training rooms with strange cuffs on his wrists. While he had no exact idea of how they worked, he had experimented enough to know he couldn't access any of his powers while they were on him. And until he figured out how to remove them, he was not going to try to escape again. Walking into walls hurt… a lot.

A pattern began afterwards. Vlad would reemerge after several hours and ask the whereabouts of the book. When he received no answer, he would punish Danny, and disappear again. Danny knew he could easily end the torture, but he wasn't going to give in. Honestly, it still didn't make much sense to him as to why Vlad was so hung up about the book. So it apparently gave some plan on how to take over the world, but there was no way any of it was real. It talked about demons for crying out loud! Okay, yeah, he was supposedly a ghost, but demons? That was just taking things too far. Besides, the damn thing said he was going to be an evil muscle bound jerk. The last time he checked, he was still (much to his dismay) scrawny and certainly not evil.

Danny looked up as he noticed a presence looming over him. The blue-faced wannabe vampire had returned for another round of questioning. Joy. Just how long was this going to continue? Did the creep realize by now he was not going to give him any information?

"What possessed you to disobey me?" Vlad demanded after the first round of punishment. He took a moment to compose himself before speaking again. "While I understand your normal teenage frustration with being confined to the manor, you blatantly went against my wishes after you stole one of my most prized possessions. This is inexcusable behavior! Now, what did you do with my book?"

"Sorry, but Winston told me never to talk to strangers," Danny replied after a few wheezes. Through the fresh bruises and cuts he looked up at the man and smiled. "Especially one as creepy as you."

A resounding crack filled the room as a fist met Danny's jaw. "You insolent wretch!" Vlad hissed. He moved over to where Danny fell and grabbed the boy by his now broken jaw. "This will continue until you give me what I want. Ah, but I believe you're already aware of that. I may have to reconsider your punishment if you continue to hold out as it looks like I may kill you before you tell me. Use your time wisely. This conversation will continue when I return." Without warning, he dropped Danny and disappeared from the room.

Wincing, Danny shifted his position so he could lay his aching jaw on the cool floor. How much more was Vlad going to put him through? He had a feeling Vlad suspected he had contact with his friends during his escape, but he was puzzled as to why he didn't confront them. Did he want to be sure of the book's location before he went after it? Or, did Vlad want his unconditional obedience that much?

A shaky sigh escaped him as he tried to find a comfortable position on the floor. He could think about it later; trying to get some rest to help ease the pain was the bigger priority.

…

The first thing he noticed when he awoke was a distinctive difference in the amount of pain in his body. It had been a while since he had felt so good. Even his broken jaw felt much better. Confused, he sat up and examined his body. Many of the injuries he had sustained where no longer there; no wonder why he felt so good! But why?

Glancing at his wrists, he saw that the cuffs were still there. That didn't make much sense to him. The cuffs had sealed away all of his powers, including his quickened healing. Then he noticed there was something else different. The lights, which had previously always been on while he had been in the room, where off. He was a little weirded out he hadn't realized it when he first woke up; he still wasn't used to all of the changes in his body. Ghosts tended to be more active at night, so his eyes had adjusted accordingly.

Frowning, he examined the cuffs again. The soft glow they had been previously giving off was no longer there. Unsure if it was a good or bad thing, he tried to phase them off of his wrists. A smile graced his face as the cuffs fell to the floor with a satisfying _thunk_. Though he was surprised the cuffs were somehow powered by either the house or the room, he was not going to let the opportunity pass him. He quickly adopted invisibility and successfully phased through the wall. First thing first, he was going to let Maddie and Jazz know he was okay.

….

As he moved, he realized the power appeared to be out in most of the house. It was a little surprising as he recalled Vlad mentioning something about there being backup generators throughout the manor. Yelling was also noticeable. It appeared Vlad's ghostly servants didn't have any idea what had called the blackout. Technus, the ghost in charge of the power and security system, was particularly loud. A good bit of his speech was muffled, but Danny was still able to hear enough to know the long-winded technology master was downright outraged someone had the nerve to hack into _his_ system.

Danny stopped moving as Technus' rants registered. Someone had actually hacked the computer system? Was that why the power was out? Frowning, he slowly floated towards the commotion. It wouldn't hurt for him just to take a peak. Heck, it might even help him find the best place to escape.

He slowly made his way towards the commotion, making sure to keep himself invisible and as close to the wall as possible, just in case one of the servants floated passed. It was a very uncomfortable experience for a ghost to phase through another ghost. Not only was it considered bad manners, it would also give his position away, even if he remained invisible.

An icy breath escaped his lips. Shivering, he phased through one of the walls into a generally unused hallway. Vlad was coming, and he wanted to be nowhere nearby when he came through. Although he had no idea why he was able to sense other ghosts, he was very thankful for the unique ability. If it wasn't for that, there would be no way he would be able to maneuver undetected through the building.

Knowing it probably wasn't in his best interest to continue his reconnaissance mission, he turned to head towards the hidden room which contained Maddie and Jazz when a light caught his attention. It wasn't incredibly bright, but it did seem to resemble the light from a flashlight. Puzzled, since there should be no one in this part of the house who needed one, he turned around.

There were two figures approaching his position who were indeed using a flashlight. The brightness of the light interfered with his vision enough to prevent him from making out any details about them, but he knew one thing for certain, they were not ghosts. He cautiously moved closer to them. Who were they and what were they doing in this part of the house? Their hesitant movements and faint whispers were enough to let him know the pair did not want to be caught by the inhabitants of the manor.

His breath misted again as Vlad's irate voice rang through the hallways. Damn it! When did he get so close? Danny gave a quick glance towards the source of the voice before he looked back at the mysterious pair, who had clearly become alarmed. Hoping he wasn't going to regret his next decision, he grabbed the duo and flew to the other side of the house as fast as possible.

The grab had thankfully left the pair speechless, but as soon as he let them go, he sensed the yell coming. He quickly placed his hands over their mouths. "Shh! Please don't scream! You don't want Vlad to find you, right? He won't… not unless you draw his attention!" he whispered in a tone which he hoped was somewhat reassuring, but that could be somewhat difficult with the strange echo all ghosts seemed to have in their voices.

The two stopped squirming, which Danny took as a good sign. "Are you going to scream if I remove my hands?" When he felt them nod, he slowly let the pair go and moved away, only to have a beam of light shined directly in his eyes. "Ow!" he nearly shouted as he put his arms up as a shield. "Put that thing away! I really don't like being blind, you know."

"Y-y-you…. You're… a-a-a… gh…" one of the figures started to stammer. Apparently, he was holding the flashlight as it started to shake as he attempted to speak.

"Let me finish that for you. Yes, I am a ghost, complete with a glowing aura and creepy powers. Now that that's out of the way, can you please stop shining that thing in my face? I would like to be able to see who I rescued."

"Yeah, right!" the same voice nearly snarled. It was amazing how quickly he managed to overcome his fear. "You're just trying to trick us… hey!"

Noticing that the flashlight beam was no longer shining directly at him, Danny looked up to see the other person had intervened. He remained silent as his sensitive eyes readjusted to the darkness. Apparently ghostly night vision wasn't as awesome as he initially thought.

"He's not going to hurt us!" the second voice hissed. Danny was surprised to hear it was a girl.

"How do you know?"

"Because he's the one who gave me that book!"

Danny's eyes widened as realization set in. Putting his arms down completely, he stared at the two people he was hoping he would be able to see again. His two friends, Sam and Tucker, were standing across from him wearing expressions which were a combination of curiosity and caution. "I… I don't understand," he said finally. "Why are you two here?"

* * *

><p>:nods: And so ends chapter 17. This chapter was long overdue, and I apologize. Life sucks. Someone at the place where I work quit, so I'm picking up extra shifts. We've also had a few of the worst weeks I've ever seen. People are crazy. I also will be starting my rotations on June 24th. This means I get on site training for 5 weeks before I go to a new location. It is better phrased as a 40 hour work week with no pay and homework. This will continue until next May when I finally graduate from college.<p>

If you don't hear from me for a while, it's because the stress has finally caught up to me.

In other news, my trip to Ireland was wonderful! Castles, hawks, really good food, a poison garden, and rather attractive young men; what more could a girl ask for? I have some of the picture up on my deviantart page( ayamari-no-goshi . deviantart . com). More will come in time.

That's it for now. I'm going to bed.

ayamari no Goshi,  
>signing off<p> 


	18. Setbacks

Disclaimer: I claim nothing, except a rather bad case of exhaustion. Rotations have seemingly sucked all energy from my body.

Warning: this chapter has yet to be beta'ed

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><p>Eidolon<br>18. Setbacks

Unsure if he was hallucinating, Danny just stared at the two people in front of him. Why were they here? That was a silly question: they were probably there looking for him. The better question to ask was how did they get into Vlad's mansion? During the unwilling time he had spent with Vlad, he had no recollection of any normal human being in the house, let alone coming to visit. If his memories from his escape were correct, the house did sit quite far from most other dwellings. That was probably the reason. And, now that he had a chance to consider it more, he did spend a lot of time in the hidden rooms… the occasional visitor no longer seemed so odd.

"Hello? Are you still with us?" someone asked as they waved a hand in front of his face, making him jump. Danny blinked a few times before he noticed Sam slowly retracting her hand.

A frown crossed his face as he noticed her hesitation. It was clear she really didn't know what to make of him still. "Sorry," he told her as a sheepish grin graced his features, "my thoughts ran away from me for a moment. I… uh, really wasn't expecting to see any living people here."

"Right…" the goth's reply was dry as she leaned towards a beckoning Tucker.

"What are you doing? Do you really think it's a good idea to let your guard around him… err… it?" Tucker whispered as he glanced over towards Danny. It was clear he was trying not to be overheard, but it was moot point. Danny's vision wasn't the only one of his senses which had improved. His ears didn't seem to be quite as sensitive as his eyes, but it was still easy from him to pick up on whispers, especially in such a quite room. "I mean, we don't know a thing about him! What if he hurt Danny? What if he attacks us too?"

"Mildly offended by that," Danny told them, causing both of his friends to stare. Crossing his arms with an off-handed shrug, he gave them a wry smile. "If I was really interested in hurting you, I would have done it before you even knew I was there… or, after I shouted out my nefarious schemes. It always seems to be one or the other with ghosts."

"You heard that…?" the other boy paled as Danny nodded. "But…!"

"If you're not going to hurt us, then what do you want with us?" Sam asked as she cut off Tucker's nervous stammers. "You're the same ghost who gave me that book… Wait, you're not trying to make us your pawns, are you? 'Cause, if you are, I'm gonna make you wish that thought never occurred to you, ghost or not!"

Knowing she was dead serious, the hybrid immediately tried to calm her down. "Whoa! Slow down there! Sam, I promise you, it's nothing like that! I gave you that book in hopes you could figure out a way to stop Vlad! He wants to either take over the world or destroy it… maybe both."

Her eyes narrowed as she took in his words. "If you're aware of that, why aren't you trying to stop him?"

Relaxing slightly, Danny looked her in the eyes before shifting his gaze. "I've been trying, but he's much stronger than me. And, if I do anything too far outside his wishes, I'm worried he's going to hurt them. I'm not the only one kept prisoner here. And," his voice dropped to a low murmur as he continued, "I'm worried he's working on a way to control me. If that happens, I don't think I'll be much help."

"Control… you mean like brainwashing or something?"

"I think so…"

"It's possible to do that to a ghost? Wait… what do you mean 'you think so'?" The curiosity was obvious in Tucker's voice.

A strange thought crossed Danny's mind. Wasn't Tucker terrified of ghosts? He could still recall some of the rants the boy had, especially the one after the second cemetery incident. How was Tucker still in the same room, let alone taking to him?

Shoving the question aside for latter, he nervously rubbed his neck as he gave a small smile. "Err, I really don't know for sure how this all works. I'm still in the learning phase, but I'll try to explain." He paused for a moment before continuing. "Vlad seems convinced that I'll become evil, apparently because what is written in that stupid book. And he seems to think he can somehow control me so I can do his bidding, or some other nonsense. Right now he's mostly trying to beat me into submission, but I know he has other plans if I continue to hold out." He shivered slightly. "The man's a fruitloop."

Danny allowed his words to sink in before he spoke again. "So, why are you here? It's not exactly safe to be this close to Vlad."

"We're looking for our friend, Danny," Tucker hesitantly explained. Both he and Sam had been caught off guard by the abrupt change in the topic. "We know Vlad took him."

"Really? How?"

"There's footage from the police station where Danny was last seen."

"Wait… there is?" Danny was honestly surprised by the news. He had heard from various gossip Vlad had asked Technus to erase the footage. If what Tucker said was true, Technus was not going to like what would happen when Vlad found out. Everyone in the mansion knew how well Vlad took failure. "What exactly does it show?"

"Huh? Why do you care? You're probably going to rat us out!"

"I'd never..!" He was honestly shocked his friend would say such a thing, but he had to remember, Tucker didn't recognize him. To him, he was just another ghost who had the potential to harm him. After shaking his head, Danny made sure to keep his gaze low. "I just… I was hoping it would explain what happened. Everything goes fuzzy when I try to remember it… I think Vlad somehow managed to overshadow both me and that officer… but, I still don't know for sure if that's even possible. Hypothetically, ghosts can possess people, but it's not like I've ever seen it happen."

"Overshadowed you? Wait, you're telling us you were there too? What did you do with Danny?"

"Tucker, what are you talking about? How could I do anything to myself? I'm Danny!"

A strange pause fell between them after the outburst. Danny cringed at both his words and his friends' stares. He hadn't meant to reveal the truth. Unsure what to say, he fidgeted in the silence as he waited for his friends to say something.

Glancing at them, he realized they seemed afraid. As they breathed, their breath misted in the air, and his sensitive eyes picked up on their shivers. Had the temperature in the room dropped? It was possible as the power was out, but the two of them seemed fine a moment ago. Danny's eyes widened as a strange thought came to him. Was this his fault? Ghosts, in general, tended to cool the air around them, but when they grew angry or emotional, the temperature fluctuations grew worse. Did that still hold true for a hybrid?

"A-are you guys okay?" he asked hesitantly as he backed up slightly in hopes of pulling the coldness away from them. "I'm sorry… there's a lot about myself I don't know, especially about my powers. I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable." When the two didn't answer, he began to grow desperate. "Please, just say something!" he pleaded. "I swear, I would never intentionally hurt you or anyone else!"

Still shivering slightly, Sam slowly moved over towards him. Ignoring the warning from Tucker, she carefully touched his face. Jerking slightly, she her hand back to glance at it. "D-did I hurt you?" Danny asked, somewhat scared by the strange reaction. Now that he thought about it, even Maddie and Jazz didn't touch him much when he was in his ghost form.

Unsure what was wrong, he started to apologize again but the words were cut off by Sam's gentle touch. Carefully, she moved his face just enough to force him to stare into her eyes. He could tell she seemed to be searching for something. A surprised smile appeared once she was finished. "I'm fine," she told him with certainty. "You're just a lot colder than I was expecting." A sigh escaped her as she looked away for a moment. "Danny, who did this to you?"

The question caught him off guard. Did this mean she finally recognized him? His words failed him as he tried to find away to answer. He was spared the trouble by an outburst from Tucker.

"Sam, don't tell me you actually believe him!" he nearly shouted. "This could all be a lie to make us lower our guard!"

Sam's response was to glare at the boy, causing him to shrink back in alarm. "I really didn't believe it at first either, but this is Danny. Look at him carefully." She then turned to look back at the hybrid with another small smile. "You know, once you get past the color changes, you actually don't look all that different. I'm kinda ashamed I didn't notice it sooner."

"Don't worry about it." Even though he was still tense, Danny couldn't help the small chuckle that escaped him. "I think the 'oh, shit, it's a ghost!' reaction tends to override everything else. I didn't even recognize myself at first. Though… I didn't think I was a ghost… that came after I fell through a floor."

A hesitant yet sad smile crossed Sam's lips as she reached up to touch his face again. This time, she was able to suppress the shivers her body tried to create in protest of his unnatural presence. "He… did this to you, didn't he?" she asked. He tilted his head in confusion, causing her to sigh and elaborate. "Vlad, I mean. He caused… this…?"

"Kinda…" he replied after a small pause. "It's more like he sped the process along."

"Err… what's that supposed to mean?" Tucker questioned as he stepped a little closer.

"It apparently was going to happen anyways, whether he got involved or not. I'm supposedly this sort of halfway existence, and Vlad wants to use that to his advantage." Shaking his head slightly, he gently pulled away from Sam's reach. "But enough about that. I need to get you back to your rooms. If Vlad finds out you've had any contact with me… Well, I'm not exactly sure what he'll do, but it definitely won't be pretty. The last thing I need is for you two to be held prisoner like Maddie and Jazz."

"Wait… who?"

"Vlad's kept them here for years for some reason. They're being kept in a hidden room underneath the mansion… but I don't think there is any normal way to reach them. We have to phase through the walls to get into the room…" He hesitated a moment before he spoke again. This might be the best chance to get the girls out of Vlad's grasp, but it wouldn't amount to anything if his friends got hurt in the process. Making up his mind, he reached out and grabbed them by the arm. "This is going to be uncomfortable for you, but please stay quiet. Now, which room are you in?"

Rather confused by the question, Tucker blurted out the answer before Sam had a chance to shush him. Without much warning, Danny then allowed his energy to reach out to his friends and turned them invisible. It was hard to describe exactly how the process worked, but he knew his energy wasn't actually entering his friends. It was more like he was allowing it to temporarily cover them, much like a blanket. It was a little tiring to keep it up, but it was necessary and good practice for him. Without another word, he took them through the wall and headed towards the room.

….

"Dude, give a guy some warning before you do something like that!" Tucker wheezed as him as he tried to catch his breath.

Danny couldn't help the smile that crossed his face as he watched his friend try to recover from his shock. Tucker really didn't like to be frightened. "Sorry, but I'm on a bit of a tight schedule here."

"You're not thinking about leaving us here, are you?" The irritated tone of Sam's voice was enough to make him cringe. To make matters worse, he could feel her glaring into his back. Who knew a girl could hold such power in a look? Maybe it was her gothic nature which strengthened it? Danny pushed the thoughts away. He would be able to think about it later, hopefully.

"That was the plan. Look, Sam," he sighed as he ran a hand through his white hair, "I can't tell you how happy I am to see both of you, but it's not safe for you to have contact with me. As much as I want to stop Vlad and leave here, I can't do a think if it means it's going to put you, Tucker, Maddie, or Jazz in danger. You haven't had the pleasure of trying to fight against this maniac. Heck, my jaw still hurts from where he broke it earlier."

"He what?" both of his friends yelled causing him to shrink back. Why had he let something like that slip?

Holding up his hands in defense, he backed up against the wall. If things got really bad, he could easily phase through it and escape. It wouldn't be the most tactful move, but it was a possibility. "Look, it's not a big deal. Ever since _this_ happened," he said while gesturing to his ethereal body, "I've been able to heal at a much faster rate. As long as the injuries aren't too bad my body is usually able to take care of it within a few hours. It's one of the few perks of being like this."

"But…!"

"Sam, there's no use arguing," Danny told her, effectively cutting off her protest. Her eyes smoldered as her anger continued to simmer. "I know this isn't right or healthy, but what else am I going to do? Vlad leaves the girls alone as long as I do what he says. Or, if I do 'misbehave,' take my beatings without a fight. Now that you're here, there are more people he can use against me."

"But, we came here to find you and bring you home! Do you just expect us to leave without you?"

"That's exactly what I want you to do!" Silence filled the room after Danny's outburst. His eyes burned with rage as he dared them to say another word. "I was hoping you'd be able to do something on the outside… what I was expecting, I still don't really know. But instead, you come here and leave yourself open to be trapped. I should have known better."

His friends stared at him with worry filled gazes, but the tension in their bodies told him they were nervous to come too close to him. Briefly he wondered if his energy surged again, but quickly pushed it aside. Sam and Tucker were playing with fire by testing both him and Vlad. Sure, he would never willing hurt his friends, but his powers were still developing. Accidents were a part of his new life, and until he stabilized better, they would continue to happen.

"Danny… isn't there something we can do?" Sam nearly pleaded.

Tucker nodded in agreement. "Yeah. I mean, we managed to prove Vlad took you. It proves we're not useless."

"Speak for yourself."

"Hey!" For a moment, it looked like Tucker was going to argue back, but he seemed to think against it. "You know what, never mind. But, seriously dude, there has to be something we can help you with while we're here. We're your friends, remember? And friends help each other!"

Danny knew he was going to regret listening to them. Didn't they realize their lives were on the line? But, try as he might, he couldn't just ignore them. "…If you want to help, find a way to get Maddie and Jazz out of here."

"…What…?" his friends hesitantly asked, almost as if they weren't sure if they had heard him properly.

A sigh escaped his lips. He really didn't have time to explain this. "Maddie and her daughter, Jazz, have been stuck in a room under the manner for several years. I still really don't understand why Vlad keeps them here… especially since Vlad had her husband killed…" A quick shake of his head brought him out of his momentary tangent. "Anyways, if you can get them to safety, he won't be able to use them against me, and it'll be easier for me to escape. Vlad tends to get very distracted when things don't go his way."

"Right… and is there anything else which might be of help?" Tucker asked somewhat skeptically which surprised him. Danny was expecting Sam to continue to argue with him.

The hybrid scratched his head for a moment as he tried to think of anything else which could be of some help. "Oh! I don't know if this will make a difference, but there are several air vents which connect into the room. But, I don't really think any of them are large enough for a regular person to crawl through."

"Anything else?"

"Sorry, but that's all I got."

"Well, at least it's a start." Without another word, Tucker immediately pulled out one of his P.D.A.s and started working with it.

With a nod, Danny moved to phase through one of the walls. But, before he could get a chance, a pair of arms was thrown over his head. It took him a few moments to realize the arms belonged to Sam. "Wh-what..?"

"Make sure you come back," she told him as she pulled back to look at him. "I want to yell at you for being an idiot and trying to push us away, but it's not going to accomplish anything. At least promise me you'll stay safe."

"I'll do my best."

While it wasn't quite the answer she was expecting, it was good enough for to nod and let go of him. He gave her a small smile and disappeared from her view. It was nice to know his friends still cared about him and were actively trying to help, but he wished they had remained outside the stone walls.

xxxxxxxxx

It had been about ten minutes since Danny had literally disappeared from the room. The lights in the mansion had still not come back on, making the room almost black with the exception of the small amount light coming from Tucker's P.D.A. and the windows. During that time period, Sam had paced around the room for most of the time while she tried to patiently wait for Tucker to finish whatever he was trying to do. It was taking all of her willpower not to exit the room and try to find her friend.

She still couldn't understand why Danny was so against going with them. Okay, sure. Vlad was some sort of half-ghost, but that didn't mean she and Tucker couldn't find away to stand their own against him. Besides, they had come so far already. They had proof Vlad took Danny, and if Danny would just come with them he could…

She stopped in her tracks as realization set in. Even if they were able to take Vlad into custody, would Danny really be able to come home? He was a ghost now. She had already almost forgotten that fact. But, he seemed so real! He had been right in front of her, and she had been able to touch him! Ghosts weren't supposed to have much of a form, right? But he had felt so solid!

But, if she stopped to think about it, she still didn't really know all that much about ghosts. Weren't they created by the lingering regrets someone had while they were dying? If so, it would somewhat make sense why Danny was suddenly so protective of those closest to him. But, would that mean he would pass on if they managed to stop Vlad?

"Sam, I think I finally got something."

More than a little thankful for the interruption, the goth turned towards the source of the voice. Though it was hard to tell in the dim light, she was still able to tell her friend was looking in her direction. "And?" she asked as she moved towards him to get a better view.

He tapped the screen a few times before he turned it towards her. What appeared to be a blueprint was on the screen, but it was too complex for her to easily figure out what it was. "These are the plans for the vents Danny had mentioned, and he was right; they do lead to a room underneath the manner. But like he also said, none of these are big enough for a person to get through."

"So, what do we do?"

A few more taps on the screen gave her the answer. "Apparently, there used to be some sort of doorway to that room. It's probably been blocked off, but…"

"If we find the way to it, we can rescue the people Danny's so concerned about?"

"Or, at the very least, be able to lead the cops to it."

"Tucker, you're brilliant!"

"It's about time you noticed! …Hey! Do you even know where you're going?"

Sam barely listened to him as she grabbed her flashlight and sped out the door. They were one step closer to helping Danny. It was still too early to tell what exactly would happen when this was all said and done, but she wasn't going to let that stop her.

* * *

><p>And another chapter down. Even though there was mostly discussion this chapter, things are really starting to pick up. But wait, there are still plenty of twists and turns coming. I don't know about you guys, but I'm rather excited.<p>

Hmm… I guess I'll mention this now. I do support DannyxSam, but the one issue I always had with the show was how much they rushed their relationship. Personally, I feel like both needed to mature a few years before it would properly work. But, this story doesn't really focus on romance. Anything that could be taken as such should only be viewed as a relationship between friends or a crush and nothing more serious.

Anyways, aside from that, my personal life has become rather hectic right now. My first rotation is going well, and I'm learning a heck of a lot of things about oncology and current and upcoming treatments. But, as much as I love it, it is very tiring. Early mornings plus a five day week plus homework really drains me.

Also, the current storms in the Pa region have screwed up everything. My 3 'normal' routes to get to my rotation and school all flooded on the same day (and there was somehow a fire on the alternative route). And, more rain is coming in. Then there are the family feuds which have cropped up again. And, my friend just lost her father… funerals always hit me hard. Otherwise, I'm in good health, which I guess is a good thing.

And, I just bought myself a Superman cape! It is nice and shiny and red. XD You are all jealous of my cape.

Well… that's it for now. Time for me to try and find George, my normal fanfic flashdrive, who has decided to go AWOL again…

Goshi, signing off


	19. Opposition

Disclaimer: Must I really keep doing these? DP and its affiliated characters belong to Butch Hartmann, Winston Wolfe belongs to Hornswaggler, and the original concept of this story belongs to Crystal Dreams. I have just combined the three to create a monster, and I am very proud of this fact.

Note: Like previous chapters, this one has yet to be beta'ed

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><p>Eidolon<br>19. Opposition

"So… where exactly are we…?" Sam asked as she carefully took a look around the room she and Tucker had discovered. "I thought you said we were entering the basement…"

Tucker adjusted his glasses as he reexamined the screen on his PDA. "According to the blueprints, it should be. The door we're trying to find should be along that wall," he said as he gestured to the one wall.

A sigh escaped Sam as moved to examine the wall. She should have known something was up when they needed to find a hidden switch to get into the basement. Apparently, the mad billionaire had turned what should have been a normal basement or storage area into some type of lab.

It was difficult to tell if he used the room regularly or not. It was incredibly clean. Nothing appeared to be out of place, and the entire room had the faint smell of disinfectant. What appeared to be surgical tools were placed neatly near the sink on the one counter. Unknown and somewhat sinister looking machinery and weapons were scattered throughout the room. To make matters worse, an eerie green light which originated from what may have been a strange doorway on the far wall washed over the room. It caused unusual shadows which seemed to pulse and move. It was unnerving.

Pushing her discomfort aside, Sam tried to focus her attention on figuring out where the supposed door was. If the blueprints Tucker had discovered were correct, the door in question would lead to the room where people were being held captive. Although she had no idea who those people were, she knew they were important to Danny which was all she needed to know. When the time came, she would ask why they held such a place in her friend's heart, but for now, she would focus on her mission. Danny had entrusted her with rescuing them, and even though she didn't think it was much, she wasn't going to let him down, especially when there was so much at stake.

After checking over the wall a couple of times, it was clear they were going to need more than a good eye to determine its location. After a quick discussion, they hesitantly began tapping the wall in an attempt to find some indication of the door. Although the lab was probably designed to muffle sounds, they decided to play it safe. The knocks where short and spaced in an attempt to make them sound more natural.

"I think we found it…" Tucker hesitantly stated as if he didn't believe it was possible. "And, according to my PDA, this spot does match up with the blueprints."

"Well, that's all fine and dandy, but how are we going to get to that door? While I've always wanted to destroy a wall, I don't know how we're going to be able to get away with it without making a lot of noise." Sam stated as she felt the wall again. Thankfully, it appeared to just be made of drywall. Though it seemed a little odd, seeing as it would make more sense to enforce the walls of a lab, she wasn't going to complain. It was going to be a lot easier to go through drywall than steel or concrete. Now that she thought about it, maybe the drywall was just covering the enforcements to make the room look nicer.

"We'll just have to find something. Let's try looking for something in here."

….

Several minutes later, Sam and Tucker had begun work on the wall. They had thankfully discovered a stocked toolbox on one of the shelves and were using a couple of hammers to make progress. Drywall by nature has a tendency to be rather soft, so it only took a couple blows to make a large enough hole for them to be able to start pulling away parts of the wall using the claws of the hammers. While they weren't making the best time, it was a relatively quiet procedure, which was what they wanted. There was no point in alerting Vlad to what they were doing.

A silent cheer ran through the room when Tucker's hammer uncovered a small amount of wood. And, after a few more scrapes, they were convinced they had actually found the hidden door.

"I think we should alert the police now."

Sam looked up from her work to stare at her friend. "Are you sure? I mean, we haven't even found the people Danny wants to rescue, and then there's Danny himself…" She shook her head slightly as she tried to force any thoughts of the boy from her mind. He was perhaps the biggest complication to their plan, but getting him to safety was unfortunately going to have to wait. "I just don't think that we've accomplished anything spectacular enough to call them."

Tucker shook his head as he started to push some buttons on his PDA. "I think we've uncovered plenty. Yes, we came here to save Danny, but now that there are others involved, it's become far bigger. Besides, what if something happens to us? No one will know what we've found, so it's better to do it now!"

"And, what, pray tell, are you two humans going to be doing?" a metallic sounding voice asked from behind them.

Startled, Sam turned to find the source of the voice. A large, metallic humanoid was staring at them with a piercing gaze. Her hands clutched her hammer more tightly as a jolt of recognition ran through her. It was the ghost who had chased them from the park all those months ago: Skulker.

When neither she nor Tucker gave an answer, Skulker huffed and moved closer. "I see you've done some remodeling to my employer's lab. I doubt he'll be very pleased about this… but should I let him take care of you, or should I do it myself and try out one of my new toys?"

"How about you try this?" Sam shouted as she ran at the creature and attacked him using a sudden wave of courage and her hammer.

The ghost just turned intangible and let her pass harmlessly through him. As Sam tried to attack him again, he grabbed the back of her shirt and hoisted her up so he could get a better look at her. "Ah, you're one of the whelp's friends…" He looked over at Tucker, who was plastered against the wall in fear. "Hmm… Plasmius did mention he's been having trouble getting the child to obey… I wonder…"

An evil grin crossed his face as he glanced at the two humans again. "On second thought, I am going to hand you over to Plasmius. You'll be the perfect leverage against the ghost boy."

Xxxxxx

An uneasy sensation wormed its way into Danny's core. He knew he was taking a big risk by checking in on Maddie and Jazz, but he _had_ to do it. With the power being out, it was very unlikely anyone made sure the girls were okay. While it was likely nothing was wrong, there was always the chance Vlad had done something to them during the time he was locked in the room. If that happened, Danny was never going to forgive himself or Vlad.

Carefully, Danny phased into the cavernous room where the girls were held. It was unnerving to see the room so dark as the lights were not supposed to be extinguished. During night time hours, the lights were to be dimmed, but Vlad did not trust the girls enough to allow for complete darkness. It was part of his desperate need for complete control.

The hybrid scanned the dark room carefully for any sign of moment. After a quick moment, his eyes were drawn to a strange green glow and the two figures huddled nearby. He approached slowly in hopes he wouldn't startle them too badly. He really didn't need Maddie accidently shooting at him again for scaring her. After that particular incident, he somewhat understood why Vlad constantly searched through the room for hidden anti-ghost weapons.

"Hey," he called out softly once he got close enough. While it caused the two of them to jump, Danny was glad to find no weapons had been pulled on him yet. "Are you two okay?" He moved closer to the light, which was now identified as a small lantern, so the girls could clearly see him.

"Danny!" Jazz cried as she rushed towards him and gave him a hug. Even now, it still surprised him how easily Jazz was able to touch him. While he didn't have a lot of human examples to use, he knew Maddie did her best to avoid touching him while he was in his ghost form. If he ever got out of this mess, he would have to see if his friends were the same way. "We were so worried about you! Are you okay? What's going on upstairs? Has something happened?"

He smiled in spite of himself as he gently removed himself from her grasp. "Jeez, Jazz, one question at a time!" he teased as he caught sight of Maddie. Her expression was calculating as she watched his movements. During the time when he was first gaining her trust, she often gave him the same look. It usually meant she was trying to deduce his motives, but he had thought they had moved past this phase.

"What do you want to know?" he asked the woman while looking directly into her goggles. He hated when she wore them; she tended to look far more intimidating than usual and less human.

"It's funny how you are the only one to come visit," she told him, all the while carefully watching his expressions. "What exactly is happening up there?"

"Someone hacked the mansion's system and knocked out the power. As of right now, neither Vlad nor Technus can start it back up, but I don't know how long that will last." He paused and gave them a serious look. "I can't stay for long because I'm worried what Vlad's going to do when he finds out I'm gone. He already broke my jaw earlier today…. But I found out my friends are here…"

A snort from Maddie interrupted his train of thought. Danny stared at her as he tried to understand the action. "Friends? What are they more ghosts?" the scientist snapped when she noticed his confusion.

"What? No!" he exclaimed after being taken back for a moment. He had almost forgotten about her distaste for other 'ectoplasmic beings.' "They're humans, and their names are Sam and Tucker. I think I've mentioned them at least a couple times… Anyways, they are in the mansion as we speak. They're trying to find a way to get you out of this place."

"No offense, Danny," Jazz told him apologetically, "I'm sure your friends are great, but I don't think anyone could find a way to rescue us unless they can walk through walls."

"But they think…!" he trailed off when the lights suddenly turned on. It took a moment for him to adjust his eyes to the brightness. When he realized what happened, he grew pale and started backing away from the girls. "I need to leave…" His voice came out as a harsh whisper as realization set in. "Vlad can't find out that I've been down here!"

"Danny, I don't understand. What's going on?"

He shook his head as he started to float away. "Vlad's starting to get frustrated with my lack of cooperation… From the way he's talking, I'm worried he's going to start taking his anger out on you soon. And I don't want soon to be today."

"Jazz, we'll talk soon. Okay?" he told her when he noticed she was going to try to argue. While it was clear she wasn't happy, Jazz managed to swallow her argument for the time being. Satisfied, Danny gave a small wave and floated up towards the ceiling.

"Leaving so soon, boy?" a cold voice called out, causing Danny to stop in his tracks. He slowly turned to his right to find Vlad floating nearby. He wore a pleasant smile, but his eyes seemed to burn with anger.

After Danny refused to move or make a sound, Vlad approached him. "I was wondering where you had gone, but I should have known better. You can't bear not knowing if Maddie and Jasmine are safe. I understand, my boy, both of them are remarkable women, but I can't help but wonder if there is another reason for your visit."

"W-what do you mean?" the younger hybrid asked as he tried to keep his fear in check.

"Do you really think I'm that stupid, Daniel? The power goes out on the very day your little human friends arrive at my mansion under the pretense they're just here to visit while the one's father goes over part of the custody lawsuit with me, and when I go in to check on you, lo and behold, you're nowhere to be found."

Danny shook his head violently. "I just wanted to make sure they were okay… and I didn't even know that my friends were here until you said something!" He was in dangerous territory. While none of this had been planned, at least on his part, he was still lying. If Vlad found out, it was likely his punishment would make the beating from earlier look like a few small bruises.

"Is that so?"

A breath that he didn't realize he was holding escaped when Vlad finally turned his gaze away from him. The man had allowed himself to surrender to gravity and was currently pacing on the floor. He was conveniently in between him and the girls, and there was no way he didn't realize it. The situation was looking worse by the moment.

"What should I do with you?" Vlad asked no one in particular as he continued to pace. "I would like to believe you, but your recent behavior does need to be called into question. Oh, and let's not forget that you have yet to return my very important book!"

"You can't blame him!" The two males turned to see an angry Jazz. Upon catching their gaze, her checks flushed slightly, but her glare remained. "You kidnapped the poor boy in an attempt to make him your own personal slave, and you really think he's going to listen to you after that? He's a teenager to boot! Teenagers are naturally inclined to rebel against authority! Not to mention you're keeping him here, and…!"

"Jazz…. Jazz!" Danny shouted in order to stop her. While it was nice to hear her stick up for him, it was just not the right time. "It's okay."

"No, Danny, it's not okay! He can't keep doing this to you! He… mmph!" Her words were cut off by a strange pink goo which had covered her mouth.

"Sorry, my dear, I know you care for Daniel, but this is not the time for your arguments." Vlad told her as he lowered his still glowing hand. "Don't worry; it will vanish in a few minutes." He then turned back to the younger hybrid and gave him a slight grin. "It's touching to see how close you've gotten. I fully believe you would do anything within your power to keep them from harm. At first I thought this would be valuable to use them as leverage over you, but it may have backfired on me. You refuse to do anything which would make them disappointed in you, and this becomes clearer every time you resist me."

"What are you…" Danny's eyes widened as Vlad's words started to sink in. He didn't mean what he was implying, was he?

The older man turned towards the girls and raised his hand. A pinkish glow surrounded the raised hand and steadily increased in intensity. "There are so many things in this world that I want… However, it appears I have to put at least one of those things behind me," he said wistfully. "Maddie, my dear, I do love you, and maybe if you had returned my affections instead of pine for the long dead oaf then this would have turned out differently, but our time together has drawn to a close."

"Come now, Vlad, honey," Maddie told him softly as she slowly moved away from her daughter. Vlad's line of sight never moved from her. "I know I've been cold towards you, but can you really blame me? When you first brought me here, I was still mourning the loss of Jack and my son, and then you have just kept us here, away from the world and even the sky. How else do you think I'd react?"

Son? What did she mean by that? Danny quickly tried to recall if she had ever mentioned having a son to him before, but he was drawing a blank. Now that he thought about it, Maddie really hadn't mentioned anything about her life prior to being trapped. But, this really wasn't the time to consider the potential implications; he needed to draw Vlad's attention away from her before he did something unforgivable.

"Your speech suggests there is still a chance between us, and it gladdens my heart," Vlad told her as he used his free hand to cover his heart. A faint smile appeared on his face before his gaze suddenly turned dark and crazed. "However, I know you're just trying to manipulate my feelings. I was told by my minions I should have gotten rid of you years ago, but I couldn't bring myself to do away with you. Yet you have never returned my affections. Now, as my other plans are slowly nearing fruition, I see that you have become nothing more than a liability which I must remove."

"Vlad, please be reasonable!"

"I'm sorry, my dear. I really will miss you when you're gone. I'll make sure to take good care of Daniel in your stead."

The hybrid raised his glowing hand higher causing Maddie to shrink back from him. Before he could make a move to attack her, Danny threw an ectoblast at the middle of his back. Vlad turned around and snarled. "Always be aware of your surroundings. I think that was one of the few things you tired to teach me that I actually paid attention to," he told the man as he powered up another blast. When Vlad continued to give him an ugly look, he just snorted as he forced himself to hide his fear. "Dude, do you really think I'm just going to let you attack her?"

A sigh escaped Vlad as he stood up and brushed himself off. His irritation seemed to radiate from his being. "And just what do you think you're doing? Didn't your beating from earlier teach you that you have no hopes of opposing me?" His eyes narrowed when Danny refused to drop his fighting stance. "Fine. This time, I'll beat you within an inch of your life so you're in no position to fight back while I kill both of them while you helplessly watch…. AHHHH!"

If he was going to say anything else, it was cut off by his screams. Maddie had managed to retrieve her ecto-staff while Vlad was distracted. It appeared she was going to continue until he was unconscious, but the mad man had other plans. With unprecedented endurance, he managed to send a weak ectoblast at her. It wasn't enough to do much damage, but it did cause her to stumble away from him. It was enough time for him to get up and go after her.

A green shield formed between Maddie and Vlad as Danny floated over to her. "Are you alright?" he asked quietly as he offered her his hand. Although she didn't take his offer, she did give him a small smile.

"Your little games are no longer amusing," Vlad hissed at them. "I'm going to enjoy teaching both of you a lesson you won't soon forget." He powered up another blast only to be interrupted by a book hitting the back of his head.

"You leave them alone!" Jazz yelled as she hurled another book at him. This time, Vlad let it harmless pass through him, causing Jazz to gulp and back away.

"I had been thinking of sparing your life, but I now believe that was a premature notion."

Danny was about to throw up another shield when a cold feeling over came him. A gasp escaped him as his breath became visible causing everyone in the room to stare at him as they knew what it meant.

"Plasmius!" a husky voice called out.

"You better have a good reason to interrupt me, Skulker," Vlad snarled as he turned to face the robotic ghost.

"Well…" he started cautiously. He had worked for Vlad long enough to know he had come in at a very bad time. "I happened to find two little rats making a mess of your lab, and I thought I'd leave their punishment up to you." As he spoke, he moved slightly to show he was holding two struggling teenagers in his grasp.

"Sam! Tucker!" Danny shouted before he could stop himself.

* * *

><p>And once again, I leave off at a cliffhanger. I swear, I'm not evil, nor do I intend to end my chapters with them. It just happens. I'm really excited for the next chapter! I do need to summon some inspiration for parts of it, but most of the outline has been created. ^w^ Be prepared for twists!<p>

I have good and bad news. The good news is that I managed to fix my laptop (ish)! And, I'm going to New York Comicon in October (I'm so exicted! I'll be cosplaying as Superboy aka Connor Kent). The bad news: the real world still sucks. My sixth year pharmacy rotations are still going strong, and they take up a good amount of my time. Seriously, they are 40 hour a week training secessions without pay, lots of homework, and the signing of loans. You have to pay the school (it's about $43,000 a year for me) to allow you to be at the rotation.

I'm also a bit out of it right now. As you may have read from the author note I had up for a bit, I was approached after I finished my shift recently. No one got hurt, but I was shaken by the encounter. I hope none of you ever have to deal with something like that.

On a lighter note, Halloween is approaching. It's my absolute favorite time of year! Ghost stories! \^o^/

ayamari no Goshi,  
>Signing off<p> 


	20. Convictions

Disclaimer: Once again, DP and its related characters do not belong to me. They are just being barrowed to create this story. I do however own a giant fluffy monstrosity that I call a pet. His name is Bohdan.

And, like before, this chapter has not been beta'ed. If any of you would like to do so while Dragondancer123 is busy with her schooling, please be my guest.

Author's note: The author's note that was up for chapter 19 has been taken down and an actual chapter has been posted. If you haven't done so already, please check it out; it will help things make sense.

* * *

><p>Eidolon<br>20. Convictions

"Sam! Tucker!" Daniel shouted before he could stop himself. As soon as the names escaped his lips, he covered his mouth in a desperate attempt to cover up his slip. His eyes darted towards the older hybrid; it was clear he was terrified of what would happen if the older man heard him. The boy should know better.

"Danny!" they called out as they stopped struggling. Both of their eyes widened as they realized Daniel was not on the ground, but actually floating a few feet off the ground. It must have been the first time they had seen the boy perform such a feat. Had they really waltzed into his mansion without knowing exactly what they were walking into? Though, he did have to give them some credit. Vlad had expected them to 'freak out', as the younger kids say.

"My, what a touching reunion, but…" Vlad stated cheerfully as he grabbed the boy by the arm and spun him around. "How is it they recognize you? Didn't you say you didn't know they were here? Hmm?"

"I-I didn't!"

The man sneered as he threw the hybrid to the ground. Did Daniel really think he could be played for a fool? The charade had gone on for long enough. "How long do you intend to try my patience, boy? I've tried again and again to teach you what you need to know to survive in this world, but you've refused to listen to my advice. But, I think I may know what can be done to finally get you to see my side. Skulker!"

The robotic entity neared his master hesitantly. "Yes, Plasmius?"

"Set the meddlesome brats down. They're perfect for this demonstration."

A hideous grin crossed the ghostly robot's face as he complied. With an unexpected gentleness, he set the two humans down a few yards away from Plasmius. "Just remember," he warned them before he completely let them go, "there are no doors down here. You can't escape this time."

"That's enough, Skulker. Be patient, and I may allow you to have more fun with them." Vlad turned back to sneer at Daniel. "You brought this on yourself, boy. Again and again, you disobeyed my directions, yet I had forgiven you each time. But, this time, you have gone too far. You have conspired with your human friends to try and take me down – do not deny it!"

The older hybrid allowed himself a moment to regain his emotions after his outburst before speaking again. "Since my previous attempts at curving your rebellious streak have failed, I am going to take a different approach. I had been hoping to leave your human friends alone, but now that they're involved… Forgive me, but I hope their examples will keep you in line from this point forward." Vlad raised his hand as a pinkish glow began to envelop it. "I promise this will only hurt for a moment," he told Sam and Tucker with a harsh tone.

"Vlad, please! They're just children!" Maddie shouted as she tried to interfere. She had tried to rush over to them, but Skulker had decided he would grab hold of her until Vlad was finished with his demonstration. He would have to remember to reward him later.

"I always knew you were caring, my dear, but your pleas have no power this time." Without another word, he released a huge ectoblast towards the children. Screams of "NO!" bounced throughout the room as the blast exploded.

An eerie silence crept through the room as the dust cloud began to settle. Vlad turned back towards a horrified Daniel. "It's tragic, really," he said while adopting a fake tone of sadness, "but this all could have been avoided if they had never gotten involved. Though, I must say I'm surprised you didn't put up more of a fight."

"Who's to say I didn't?" a voice shouted from behind the dust.

Startled, Vlad spun around to see a green dome begin to emerge from the cloud. Inside, the boy stood protectively in front of his friends. Other than the mixed expressions of terror and relief, the human children looked no worse for wear. The man's eyes widened as he turned back to see Danny wearing a smug expression. Another glance back and forth confirmed Vlad's suspicions; the boy had learned duplication!

Before he could determine how to respond, Daniel leapt into action. While the one clone made sure his friends were fine, the other swiftly attacked a surprised Skulker. A few well-placed strikes and an ectoblast to the helmet effectively took the robotic ghost out of commission. Maddie and Jasmine went over to check on the other humans as the boy double-checked his work before joining them.

"Danny, I-I don't understand," Samantha stuttered as she glanced back and forth between his two forms. "How…?"

He gave her a sad smile as he and his duplicate rejoined into a single being. "It's complicated… But, I promise I'll explain when we get out of this." He then turned back toward Vlad with a determined look.

"My, what an unexpected development. You have been taking your training more seriously than I thought," Vlad told the boy. While he was somewhat impressed by the unexpected mastery of an advanced technique, it was not the time to dwell upon it. He was still rather angry with the boy, and until he was properly punished, he would not allow himself to give any further praise to the boy.

"As impressive as your little display was, do you really think anything has changed? You are still years away from being able to match me in strength and technique." He floated a little closer only to stop when an ectoblast came dangerously close to his head.

Green energy swirled around Daniel's hands as he took a defensive stance. "I don't care whether or not you're older than me or have more experience; I am not letting you lay a hand on my friends!" As he finished speaking, he fired another blast towards the older man.

Vlad rolled his eyes as he knocked Daniel's attempt at an attack out of the way. It was strange; the boy had gotten much better, but why hadn't his attacks gotten any stronger? Unless…

A strong force caught him in the side before he got a chance to finish his thought. He caught himself in time to see Daniel charging at him. He was about to move when another blast caught him by surprise. Looking over, he noticed Daniel was still in the same position in front of his friends. The boy had made two duplicates? He must have made the second one remain invisible until he could attack. Impressive, but it did lead him to wonder as to just how strong had the boy gotten?

"Is this the best you can do?" Vlad sharply asked before his disappeared into the air. Even if he was surprised by his improvement, Daniel was still not strong enough to defeat him. He quickly reappeared behind the approaching clone and blasted him towards his original. "Really, Daniel? How unoriginal can you get? You're going to have to do a lot better if you're going to get everyone out of here alive."

The boy's previously confident expression morphed into one of uncertainty. Had that been his only plan? Vlad almost laughed at the thought. When this temporary setback was resolved, he was going to have to focus on teaching the child strategy. His current level was incredibly pathetic.

Previously unnoticed whispers came to his attention. It seemed the boy's treasured humans were trying to give him words of encouragement, and from his expression, they seemed to strengthen his resolve. That was another thing he would have to teach the boy – to distance himself from the humans who would never fully understand or trust him. It was a lesson he would begin now.

Without another thought, he quickly flew towards the group. As expected, the boy quickly put up a shield. Instead of directly attacking it, Vlad allowed invisibility to once again mask his appearance. He allowed Daniel and the humans to frantically search for him. After what he deemed was an appropriate amount of time, he made a duplicate, who remained invisible, and attacked the ecto-shield from above, effectively shattering it. Daniel wasted no time in throwing a few punches towards Vlad, which be blocked. But he was knocked back by a sudden blast to the chest.

Daniel was about to continue his attack when Vlad's duplicate grabbed him from behind. "How does it feel to have a taste of your own medicine?" the duplicate asked as Daniel struggled. He then removed a machine from the inner pocket of his suit. "I was expecting a lot more from you, especially since you're so determined to keep them safe. But, you've also shown me to expect the unexpected from you. As such, I feel it is necessary to keep you from interfering again."

The boy screamed in pain as the duplicate slammed the small device into his back. Surges of electricity flooded his body until white rings formed around his waist, separated, and transformed him back into his human appearance. The duplicate held him for a moment longer to see if the boy was truly unconscious. Satisfied, he threw the boy to the ground where the humans gathered around him.

"Wh-what did you do to him?" Samantha demanded as she glared at the duplicate.

"I short circuited his powers," Vlad stated as he dusted himself off and approached his duplicate. Upon looking at her skeptical expression, he had to chuckle. "Didn't Daniel tell you? He's a halfa – someone who is half ghost and half human. I believe he is the only natural example, but that doesn't give him an edge. His powers can still be suppressed if you know how."

"Now, I think I'll take care of you meddlesome fools before he can interfere again." Vlad and his duplicate charged an ectoblast of their own. "Now, say goodbye!"

xxxxxxxx

"Didn't Daniel tell you? He's a halfa – someone who is half ghost and half human. I believe he is the only natural example, but that doesn't give him an edge. His powers can still be suppressed if you know how."

Sam stared at the creature floating in front of her. Danny was a halfa? As in half ghost? How was that even possible? Did that mean one of his parents wasn't a human? Woah, she needed to steer clear of those thoughts. They were leading her into some strange and rather disturbing thoughts she didn't need to be entertaining while her life was on the line.

"Now, I think I'll take care of you meddlesome fools before he can interfere again." She heard Vlad say as he and his duplicate (how can he even do that?) charged their pinkish energy in their hands. "Now, say goodbye!"

She braced herself for an explosion only to notice a streak of green light fly past her left side and hit the duplicate, effectively knocking it down. A second shot quickly sent Vlad flying as well. Looking over, she noticed that the woman in the teal jumpsuit, Maddie, adjusting a small silver tube held in her left hand. "Fenton laser lipstick," the woman offered as an explanation when she caught Sam's questioning expression.

"Mom…" an urgent voice called out from their right. The redheaded girl was looking in the direction where Vlad had fallen. "Do you happen to have anything else that could stop him, because I think you just made him angry."

Looking over, Vlad was indeed up from the ground. The glow around his body and eyes seemed to intensify as he slowly approached them. His double was nowhere to be seen, which could have been a good or a bad thing. Maybe it was gone, or maybe it was lurking invisibly nearby.

"Unfortunately, this will have to do. You know Vlad's confiscated all of my other weapons. I still don't understand how he was able to find all of them."

"Ladies," Tucker interrupted before anyone else could say something. "I know this is a bad time, but what about Danny? Is he okay?"

Sam's attention turned back to her fallen friend. He looked just like he did the day before he disappeared. Same black hair, similar wardrobe, and noticeable lack of any ghostly features. She gently placed her hand on his back. To her surprise, she could feel the faint rise and fall of his chest. He was breathing! That had to be some sort of good sign!

"Most likely," Maddie answered rather matter-of-factly. "That device was only designed to prevent him from using any of his abilities. After a few hours, he'll be back to normal."

"A couple hours?" Tucker's voice cracked from his fear. "How else are we going to be able to protect ourselves?"

"We'll have to find a way."

"But…!"

Maddie have him a severe and scolding glare. "Don't you think I know how terrible things look right now?" she hissed at him. "As much as I don't want to admit it, having Danny awake would tremendously raise our chances, but we don't have that luxury right now."

"So… do you have a plan?" Sam asked as she noted the determination hidden in the mother's tone.

"Yeah, I'll try to keep him busy as you head over to my work area. Jazz, you know that unfinished invention? Try and get it to me." After receiving a nod from her daughter, she turned her attention back towards Sam and Tucker. "See if you can get Danny over there too. You'll be surprised to see how light he is… it's one of the odd effects the ectoplasm in his system has on his body."

"What do you want us to do when we get there?"

Maddie didn't look at them as she rose and fired another shot from her laser. "Try to wake him up. He understands how Vlad fights better than anyone. If anyone might know how to get out of this mess, it's Danny. Now, go!"

A pink blast exploded near Sam's feet as Maddie and Vlad started firing at each other. She quickly rallied a terrified Tucker to grab Danny and move. Like Maddie had said, he was much easier to move than she expected. When this was over, there was so much she was going to have to ask him. Everything about him seemed too different. If she was going to remain by his side, she was going to have to try to learn to understand him.

"Come on, Danny!" she whispered with urgency as she tried to shake him away. "You got to get up!" Her frantic attempts continued as flashes of pink and green light lit up the room. Shouts from the others and frantic shuffling bounced around the room as the fight intensified.

After a moment, Sam realized Tucker wasn't helping her. "What do you think you're doing?" she snarled as she turned to find him tapping on his PDA. "This isn't the time! We need to wake Danny!"

"What do you think I'm trying to do?" he asked has he held up the device and shook it slightly. "Just watch and learn." He then hit a button and an alarmingly loud sound rang through the room forcing Sam to cover her ears. At the same moment, Danny jumped a foot into the air as he came back into the conscious world. "See?"

"Whoa, did any of you get the license plate on that truck?" Danny asked as he looked around as he tried to calm his nerves. It was rare to see someone get so freaked out from a noise. Sam was going to file away that information for a later time. There were so many possibilities… But, she was going to have to push thoughts of fun aside. They weren't free yet, and until that happened, she needed to focus on trying to stay alive.

"Hey, man," Tucker greeted as he put his hand on Danny's shoulder. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I think so…" Danny's words trailed off for a moment before he stiffened. Turning around, he looked at them with wide fearful eyes. "Uh… It's not what you think! I can explain!"

"Danny, it's okay. We know." Sam told him gently.

"You know? What do you mean?"

"Dude, calm down! We know you're somehow half-ghost."

He looked away from them in shame. "This is all my fault. You wouldn't be in this mess if I was normal. Because I'm this freak, you guys have to suffer."

"But, you're not! You're just… unique!" Sam told him in an attempt to cheer him up. "There's nothing wrong with you!"

"Do you really believe that?" The intensity in his eyes startled her. Even if she didn't believe something was wrong with him, it didn't he that he felt the same way. Although he really hadn't shown it before, Danny was truly troubled by what was happening to him.

"Yes, I do."

"Me, too," Tucker added. "I won't pretend I'm not a little weirded out, but it's nothing a little bit of gaming can't fix."

Danny just stared at them in disbelief. As he tried to find some words, a pillow was thrown at him. "I hate to break up your bonding time, but Mom's in serious trouble, Danny." Jazz told him as she approached. She carried an odd-looking device in her hands. "You guys can get all gushy later, but right now, we need to do something."

"What do you expect me to do?" Danny almost demanded. "It's not like I have my powers right now."

"Distract him!"

"What?"

The redhead rolled her eyes as she started to lose her patience with him. "You're the one person in this room Vlad absolutely won't kill! You're too valuable to him. Do whatever you can while I get this thing to Mom."

"Okay… but if I end up permanently maimed, I'm blaming you. What is it anyways?"

"I haven't the faintest idea."

"This plan of yours is sounding better by the moment…"

"Danny, stop wasting time and get out there!" Jazz snapped as she pushed him towards the two warring parties. "This will work!"

"Alright, alright… I'm going!" He then looked over at Sam and Tucker. "Please, try to take cover. I don't want to see you guys get hurt anymore than you already have."

Sam tried to protest, but Tucker stopped her. After the two boys shared a nod, Danny rushed off towards the fight. She then turned towards Jazz and fixed her with a serious glare. "What can we do to help?"

"For right now, try to stay low. Don't hurt him more by putting yourself in more trouble," she told them grimly. "Danny can't stand it when the people around him get hurt." She then rushed off to where her mother was trying to pick herself up from the floor.

Sam just stood there for a moment as Jazz's words sank in. Would it really be best if she just hid? No. There was no way she was going to accept that. She quickly ran over to the work bench Jazz had been rummaging through moments before. "Come on, Tucker! Help me look!" she yelled at him.

"For what?" he asked as he joined her.

"Anything that could possibly help!" She quickly started searching through anything that could help. In the background, she could hear more blasts and Danny's voice. He was trying to talk to Vlad, but judging by the negative responses, he wasn't having much luck.

She quickly picked up the pace as the voiced behind her started becoming more frantic. As her hands brushed against something metallic, a tremendous 'boom' sounded throughout the room which was followed by a huge cloud of smoke and dust. After coughing a little, Sam looked up and gasped. A gigantic hole had appeared in the one wall. Looking to her side, she noticed Maddie was on the floor holding what appeared to be a smoking bazooka. Danny and Jazz were standing near her with dumbfounded expressions while Vlad openly gaped at her while the dust continued to settle.

"Damn it, I missed." Maddie hissed as she glared at the ghost.

"It was a good try, my dear," Vlad told her as his confidence reemerged. "But, you'll have to do better than that if you want to get out of her alive."

He raised his hand to attack, but cried out and cradled it after a shot rang out. He snarled as he turned to see who had attacked him only to see at least ten men in SWAT uniforms starting to filter in the room with their guns drawn. "HANDS IN THE AIR!" one of the men yelled as they continued to approach.

"Do you think mere guns can stop me?"

Another shot was fired and grazed his side causing him to cry out again. "YOU HAVE ONE MORE CHANCE! HANDS IN THE AIR!" the same man yelled again. Sam had to give the man props. Even though he was staring down something that was clearly paranormal, he never lost his professionalism.

Vlad stared at the approaching group of men for a moment before he turned back towards Danny and the girls. "Don't think this is over, boy," he snarled. "Take your victory, but just remember, I'll be back to claim what's mine." He then swished his cape rather dramatically and disappeared in a swirl of pink energy.

No one spoke or moved for a moment. It seemed like everyone was trying to figure out if Vlad was truly gone. The men from the SWAT team were the first to move, they split into two groups. One approached Danny and the others, while the others approached her and Tucker.

"Are you Daniel Fenton?" one of the officers asked him. Unsure what to do, he hesitantly nodded. "Don't worry, Danny. We're the good guys here. Once we get you out of the building and checked out, you'll be allowed to go home to your guardian."

Sam smiled at the look of relief plastered on Danny's face. He was finally going to get to go home! But there was one thing still bothering her. "How did the police know we were down here?"

"Because I told them."

Sam turned to give Tucker an incredulous look. "What?" he asked as he tried to hide his amusement. "I sent out a message with directions to them when we found the passage in Vlad's lab. They were probably trying to get in here when Maddie blew that hole in the wall."

"Has anyone ever told you you're amazing?"

"All the time."

* * *

><p>Woo! Part 1 (as I guess I should call it) is done. But don't worry, things aren't over yet for Danny and his friends – not by a long shot. Besides, there are still a few things I haven't gotten to explain yet. There might be a bit of a time skip next chapter… I am 90% certain of this.<p>

Uh… I guess I should mention I don't actually know what the true name of that lipstick-looking laser first seen in "Doctor's Orders" is. Not for lack of trying either. I did search… it's currently eluding me. Also, if you think about Sam's reaction when she first hears Danny's a halfa (in the setting of this fic), it does make sense. How else do you usually get hybrids? That concept is somewhat disturbing, so her concern is valid. It's not true though; that I can tell you.

Anyways….

I apologize for not updating in October… but, as what appears to be a growing trend, life is incredibly stressful right now. As I believe I've mentioned before, I am currently doing rotations for school. For a pharmacy student in their 6th year, a rotation consists of 5 weeks (sometimes more, depending on the school) in a specific location where you learn and practice a specific type of pharmacy (yes, it's not just standing behind a counter and counting pills). There is also homework on top of the 40 hour weeks (without pay). This is then added onto working in the paid internship and being interviewed by potential employers.

For those of you who haven't been interviewed before, your interviewer has the chance to either be really nice or a complete and utter jackass. I hope you don't have to deal with the latter because you're not going to feel very good about yourself afterwards.

Anyways, it feels like I don't even have time to take a breath right now. Things are that bad. I promise, I'm going to do my best to finish this fic… I just don't know how long it's going to take.

Well, that's it for now.

Goshi, signing off


	21. Downtime

Disclaimer: And… after about 2 years (wow, it's really been that long since I started this), I believe it has become well established that I own nothing here. DP and its characters belong to Butch Hartman, and Winston Wolfe belongs to Hornswaggler.

This chapter has been beta'ed by shadowxdragon!

To all, Merry Christmas! Hope your holidays go well!

* * *

><p>Eidolon<br>21. Downtime

The exit from the manor and then the property seemed to be little more than a blur of lights and the bustling of bodies. The police had somehow quickly gotten him and the others out of the building and into the arms of waiting paramedics. Up until a few hours ago, Danny probably would have raised a fuss if someone was checking his vitals due to the changes his ghost-half had brought, but he simply sat bemused as the paramedics did their job.

He was in shock. There was no other way to explain it. Somehow, he and the girls had managed to safely escape from Vlad. To make it better, the older half-ghost was gone, at least for now. He should be happy, but it just seemed too good to be true. So he continued to sit in a daze as his mind tried to accept what happened.

Most of what happened around him was registered as nothing more than hazy images, but he was clearly able to recall Sam's father sweeping her up into a hug while sobbing in uncontrolled relief. Jazz weeping openly as she looked at the night sky for the first time in her memory. And Maddie threatening to hit a reporter, one of several who snuck onto the scene, if she didn't leave her family alone. Though it wasn't much, it was enough to bring him comfort as he and the others were escorted to the hospital.

Once they arrived at the nearest hospital, everyone received a quick checkup to verify no one was seriously harmed. Everyone was deemed healthy which was a huge relief to Danny. His lowered body temperature and pulse had been written off of as symptoms of shock so the doctors didn't look too much into it. If there had been a reason for the doctors to check his blood… he didn't want to think about it. But they did keep him and the others overnight for observation.

Around noon the next day, an officer came into the room to get an official statement from him. While he obviously had to omit the paranormal parts, Danny did do his best to keep the story as close to the truth as possible. As opposed to the police he had dealt with in Amity Park, this officer was less suspicious and more accepting. The man's presence helped give Danny a sense of security he hadn't felt in months.

After the officer was finished, he gently asked Danny if he would walk with him for a moment. The officer led him down a few hallways to a large room where several people were waiting for him. One in particular stood further forward from the rest, and he watched Danny's approach with a stunned stare. It took a moment for him to recognize the dark-haired man leaning on a wooden cane. Tears threatened to fall as Danny raced over to embrace his guardian. The warmth and sense of joy radiating from the man as he returned the hug was all the proof Danny needed to know that Winston was truly there.

The sound of clapping ended the hug which brought Danny's attention back to the audience of hospital staff, police officers, and press members. Although he was unaware of it at the time, he later learned the police who rescued him had made the arrangements for Winston to meet him at the hospital. Years after the event, the police would still receive thank you letters from the two around the time of its anniversary.

This then opened the way for a multitude of press-related questions and more than a few interviews. After a couple hours, the police eventually shooed them away allowing the two to have some much needed alone time. Winston gently explained to Danny how Sam and Tucker had come to him in the hospital after he awoke and told him of Vlad's plan and their own to rescue him. He also explained while he was well enough to leave the hospital, he was still recovering. Standing and walking for long periods of time stressed his body, so he was going to use a cane for a while to help.

What surprised Danny the most was how accepting Winston was of his new abilities. The older man had shamefully admitted that he knew about them before they manifested. Just before the abduction, Winston had been planning to explain everything within a few weeks. "I can't begin to image the terror you felt as your powers started to appear," Winston sighed as he looked away from his charge. "I'm so sorry, Danny. Please forgive me for failing you."

Although Danny did try to reassure Winston it wasn't his fault, their conversation fell to an awkward silence. The ordeal had unexpectedly changed more than just Danny. A lot of other changes were going to happen in the near future, and there were still loose ends that needed to be tied. But, he didn't really want to think about them just yet. For now, all Danny wanted to do was enjoy his current feeling of security.

…

_One year later…._

The day was bright and warm as Danny made his way through familiar paths. Little had changed since the last time he had traversed Amity Park's major cemetery. The statues, graves, and plant life all seemed normal, but what once gave him feelings of peace now gave him mixed signals. His human side told him to be wary as it was the place where he first encountered Vlad, who was still out there somewhere. It was also where he first learned he was something more than human. He couldn't help but be wary of it.

However, he still felt relief as he walked along the paths. He understood it was the ghost in him that yearned for the comfort of being around a place closely linked with the realm of the dead. One would think he would feel more at ease in a place where there actual deaths had occurred, but thankfully, that was not the case. His stay in the hospital, a place where many deaths occured, did nothing but make him uneasy and paranoid when he was alone. Maddie had been very curious when she first learned of it. While she didn't have a good explanation, she was looking into it.

Danny had openly tried to avoid coming back to the cemetery when he first returned home, but after several months, he could no longer resist the pull of it. However, it had only been more recently when he had worked up the courage to go further into it than a few hundred yards beyond the front gate. He was glad he did as it filled a necessity his ghost half needed. It also allowed him to get closer to his friends as they would commonly join him.

Speaking of his friends, he was going to have to meet them soon.

Since his rescue, he had become closer to Sam and Tucker. He owed them his life… err… half-life, so of course it was bound to happen. They were spending a lot of their free time together anymore. Not only did they help him feel normal again, but they also helped him with school work. In late August, he had been enrolled at the local high school. The transition from being homeschooled to dealing with so many different people on a daily basis had been initially difficult for him to handle. But, Sam and Tucker had really helped with his transition. They were also really good at catching and covering up his occasional slip ups with his powers. While he had fairly decent control now, strong emotional stress still caused him some problems. It had been because of this that there had initially been a lot of argument about him starting school, and surprisingly, it had mostly been between Winston and Maddie.

Maddie had tried to argue it was too dangerous to let a half-ghost mingle with normal humans, but Winston would have nothing of it. Winston believed it was time to stop protecting Danny from the world. Sure, Danny wasn't exactly normal, but Vlad had still managed to take the boy even when he wasn't allowed to be around others. To the military man, if something more was going to happen, Danny would equally be at risk wherever he was. Winston also argued that being around normal people would help Danny control his powers. After Jazz and Danny joined his side of the argument, Maddie eventually gave in under the condition that he would be removed from school if anyone else learned what he was.

As Danny walked back towards the entrance, he reflected upon his performance so far. In his first couple weeks, he had fallen through his chair five or six times, dropped several breakable things during chemistry lab, and once got stuck in a wall for a few minutes . The teachers had thankfully chalked up his behavior to nerves stemmed by PTSD. Winston had taken the time to explain to the teachers about Danny's abduction last year, and Danny was more than thankful for it as it helped cover some of his mishaps.

Voices eventually caught his attention as the gate came into view. Sam and Tucker were near the entrance, and although he couldn't clearly hear them yet, he figured they were probably debating if they should go looking for him. Quickly looking around to see if anyone else was around, he faded out of the visible spectrum and slowly made his way over to them.

"Come on, Sam," Tucker stated as agitation filtered into his tone. "Danny is really good at being on time for his training. There's no reason for us to go looking for him just yet. Give him a little more time; he'll be here."

"Yeah, but that doesn't mean we can't move a little further in than the front gate," Sam retorted. "It'll be easier to see him if we can see a little more of the area."

"Well, that's all fine and dandy for you, but there is no way I'm wandering around here without Danny."

That statement caught Danny by surprise. "I thought this place didn't bother you that much anymore…" he stated somewhat questioningly as he became visible again.

"Gah! Danny! Stop doing that!" Tucker stated as he turned to face the chuckling half-ghost. "And, for your information, one too many bad things have happened here for me to be okay with it."

"And when I'm here it's fine?"

"Yeah! I mean, if something comes after us again, you have the ability to stop it."

"Glad to know I'm of some use," Danny told him dryly. "Anyways, you guys didn't have to come get me."

"We know," Sam told him, "But we figured you need all the support you can get right now. I know you've been trying to hide it, but you've been gloomy recently. Is everything okay at home?"

Danny glanced to the side. His friends really did know him well. When he originally came home after his ordeal, he figured things would probably go back to being as close to normal as possible. He hadn't been expecting Winston to invite Maddie and Jazz to join the household. Danny was shocked and confused, but Winston explained that a boy needed to be around his family. That statement opened a whole new round of questions and problems.

Although he originally had suspicions that Maddie had some connection to his missing family, he never would have guessed that Maddie was his biological mother. In a way, he was excited because he didn't really have a clear understanding of what having a mother would be like, but he figured it wasn't like how things were currently going. Maddie was still acting somewhat cold towards him because of his ghostly status. She was convinced he was still going to become evil and was trying to find a way to either remove or suppress his abilities. It made his home life very stressful. Thank goodness he had Jazz, who really had embraced her role as a big sister, and Winston, who was willing to stand up to Maddie.

"Well, it's no worse than it usually is," Danny eventually answered as he started to move towards the cemetery gates. "Come on, we need to get going."

…..

"Oh, Danny, you're back," Jazz noted as he walked in the door followed by his friends. "Sam, Tucker! Hi! How are things going today?"

"Same old, same old," Sam replied as she and Tucker removed and hung up their jackets. Although Danny might be more than comfortable in the slightly crisp weather of early fall, she and Tucker still had to keep warm. "How are things going here?"

"Mom's teaching me how to bake," she replied excitedly. "Although we could heat food in a microwave, Vlad never gave us the ingredients or the stove to actually bake. I… uh… am not doing too well right now, but I haven't given up yet!"

"Stop doubting yourself," Danny told her as he looked around the room for a sign of anyone else. "You've haven't brought food to life, so you're doing just fine." That had been an interesting experience. Maddie had decided to resurrect an old experiment in cooking a few months ago and outfitted a microwave with some sort of ecto-energy battery. It somehow brought hotdogs to life. After battling the undead hotdogs, Danny had a hard time eating beef-related products for a few weeks.

Jazz couldn't help but laugh. "That's true. Anything could be considered a success when you compare it to that incident. Anyways, I'll try to make a batch of cookies for you guys to eat once your done with training."

"That's awesome! Thanks, Jazz!" Tucker almost shouted in excitement.

"Yeah, thanks," Danny added as he looked around again. "By the way, where are Maddie and Winston?"

The redhead frowned as she tried to think. "Mom's downstairs waiting for you. Winston's not home yet. I think he had said something about having to stay at school late tonight. I'm not exactly sure when he'll be home."

"Okay, thanks."

"Oh, Danny, you received a letter today."

"It's not from the school again, is it?" the halfa asked cautiously as he watched Jazz retrieve it from the kitchen counter. When he had first started classes, his constant accidents had caused the school to start sending damage and progress reports to the house. Even though the school thought he had PTSD, they still felt obligated to report his "transgressions."

"I'm actually not sure who it's from. There is no return address on it."

"Well, that's a little more than weird…" he grumbled as the letter was handed to him. There was nothing odd about the envelope upon first glance, but Danny could feel the lingering energy on it. Whomever had written the thing clearly was strong. Against his better judgment, he opened it.

The letter read:

_Greetings young Phantom,  
><em>

_My apologies for the ordeal you've been put through, but it was only the beginning. Train well, and do not lower your guard for darker days are approaching.  
><em>

_CW_

"CW…? Who's that supposed to be?" Danny asked as reread the letter. This person called him 'Phantom,' so did that mean he had ties to the other ghosts? Or, was this just some form of elaborate joke?

"Here, let me see," Sam told him as she grabbed the letter out of his hands. He immediately tried to get it back, but it just got passed to Tucker.

"Phantom? That's actually pretty catchy," Tucker mentioned as he passed it back to Sam. "Maybe we should start calling you that."

Before Danny even had a chance to protest Sam spoke again. "I actually have to agree. But putting that aside for now, Danny, do you have any idea who wrote this?"

"Nope," Danny stated as he popped the 'p'. "Your guess is as good as mine. But, I'm really not going to worry about it right now. There are more important things… like getting our butts downstairs so Maddie doesn't come up here and get us." Even though Maddie didn't like his abilities, she was currently in charge of his training. She seemed to think that until she could find a permanent solution, he needed to do his best to get his abilities under control. It was easier said than done as it seemed like his abilities were still developing.

Tucker shivered for a moment. "You're probably right. Your mom is scary! Err… no offense."

"None taken." With that, the trio started down towards the basement where Maddie would be waiting for them.

…

"That was brutal!" Tucker exclaimed as he lay back on Danny's bed. Although most of the training was Danny's, Maddie did make sure that she had both Sam and Tucker do some exercises and train with some of the ecto-weaponry. Today's training had been more intense than usual.

"I told you that you were out of shape," Sam teased as she gently hit the boy's foot as she sat with her back against the bed. "But think about how poor Danny feels." She looked at the half-ghost sitting on his desk chair while staring out the window. "His mom really does a number on him."

"But he's used to it!"

Danny barely registered as his friends got into another friendly argument. His mother had seemed a little more aggressive with his training today than usual. Thank goodness he wouldn't have to see her again until dinner as her room was in a different part of the house.

Winston had moved him and the girls to a larger house several months ago. To him, the house looked like someone had decided to join to different townhouses together. It worked for him because the girls had one side of the house while he and Winston had the other. The only parts of the house that were connected was the kitchen and basement (which Maddie had somehow modified into a rather large laboratory) which made it easier to avoid people if he wanted.

It seemed like she was secretly trying to prepare for something. It could just be her thoughts that he would turn evil, but it did seem like there was something else to it. Maybe he was just thinking about it too hard, but his mind kept coming back to the odd letter. Could it be warning him about the same thing that Maddie was?

He shook his head as he forced himself to listen to his friends talk. He knew there was always a possibility that his trials weren't over. Vlad had never been caught after all, but he had been trying to ignore that. While he had nothing but a strange letter and a gut feeling to go on, he was going to keep his eyes out for anything that could suggest something was coming. It probably wouldn't be a bad idea if he started looking into some of the things that hadn't made sense to him during his captivity.

Perhaps he should ask Maddie about that book over the weekend. It wouldn't hurt. But, until that time, he was going to stay calm and enjoy himself. If things were about to get worse, it was a good idea to relish the down time while he got the chance. 

* * *

><p>So a couple things here:<p>

1. It is very true that you may be in a lulled state when you are in shock. I've gone through it twice, and the second time I was too out of it to care about anything. The first time, I was hyper-aware even though I have no visual memories. Shock is more than complicated, and it sucks!

2. PTSD= post traumatic stress disorder. Basically, strong traumatic events can leave very strong and lasting effects on the body. Flashbacks and anxiety are common to see with it.

3. About Danny's comfort in cemeteries… This is an odd consideration of mine. There are a lot of cemeteries that are haunted which doesn't make sense when you look at how you usually get a ghost. And, even if a cemetery does not have a history of haunting, they still tend to have a strange feel to them. I think this comes from the memorial of the passed loved one and lingering feelings. Cemeteries are already going to be emotionally charged due to services and people coming to pay their respects. So, that's going to strengthen a ghost if one is there.

There is also an old superstition that if you cry when a person passes their soul will never find rest because they'll see how much they're missed. If a soul that still lingers follows its family to the cemetery, it might become trapped because it could pick up the lingering emotions in the cemetery. Also, cemeteries are hallowed (blessed) ground, so it could it could have effects on souls no one could completely understand. There is also a tradition that a dog would be buried in a cemetery before a human was because it was believed the first soul buried in a cemetery would become its guardian. This is where you get the church grim (spectral dog) from legends. So who knows? There might be some basis in this.

Geez… I know too many old stories for my own good. Anyways, a big thank you to shadowxdragon who has kindly taken up the mantle of my beta.

And, I hope everyone did and will have a good holiday. I'm going to do my best to get the next chapter out as soon as possible, but it will probably still be a few weeks.

That's it for now,  
>Goshi signing off<p> 


	22. Forboding

Disclaimer: I own nothing. There, I said it. Can we continue now?

Note: I hope everyone is doing okay out there. It seems like everything east of Illinois and north of Virginia has gotten flooded with snow that keeps coming out of nowhere. Seriously! My area got hit with another storm that never even appeared on the radar until it hit! While rain storms are occasionally known to do that here, snow storms aren't. It sucks! And I did recently go down an hill backwards in my car… But Spring is coming!

Ignoring me… On to the story!

* * *

><p>Eidolon<p>

22. Foreboding

A cold gust of breath escaped Danny's lips as his core alerted him to the presence of a nearby ghost as he walked to school the next day. Glancing to his left, he saw the faint image of an ethereal older male looking down on him from the second story of a nearby apartment building. Danny shared a nod with him, reaffirming an unspoken agreement: as long as the man did not drastically bother the people currently living in the building, he would be left alone. Ever since they had first encountered each other a few months before, the two would greet each other in this way whenever Danny passed by.

To be honest, the halfa didn't mind the other ghost. He was a little cranky when bothered, but once he became certain he could trust someone, he became willing to talk and share his knowledge. He went by the name of Frank and stated he used to be something of a historian when he was alive. Danny had met with him several times for general advice and assistance with some of the other local hauntings.

It had never been intended, but after returning home, he somehow started interacting with the other local ghosts. According to Maddie, his strong presence had possibly awakened or strengthened the other ghosts allowing them to become more active. While he wasn't exactly sure if he believed her, he had noticed an increase in ghost sightings. The spike in activity allowed Maddie to openly work on her research of the paranormal, and the town took notice. She was frequently being called for extractions, and it was common for her to bring Danny along. Although he never openly protested, he had become very uncomfortable around her after finding out she was his biological mother.

During these investigations, Danny discovered most of the ghosts around town were tied to a place they inhabited or loved in life, and for the most part, did not have any ill will towards the living. Even if they were malevolent, they usually didn't have enough strength to do much harm. With his strange halfway existence, Danny was able to act as a mediator between the living and the dead or overpower them when necessary. This quickly earned him the respect of the other specters as well as some of the residents.

Through his interactions with the other ghosts, especially Frank, Danny was able to learn a lot more about ghosts than he ever could by himself. One of the first things he asked was why Amity Park's resident spirits seemed so much different than himself and the other ghosts he had encountered at Vlad's mansion. Vlad's servants were colorful and powerful. On top of that, many of them didn't have the most human-like appearances. Heck, Skulker looked like a robot! The ghosts of Amity Park tended to appear as a faded image of how they looked in life, and they usually had little power.

According to the other ghosts, this difference was due to the amount of time spent in the realm of ghosts, the Ghost Zone, as many put it. It was another dimension connected to the world through mysterious swirling portals which could pass through time as well as dimensions. Most portals were temporary, preventing too much traffic between the realms. This, according to the ghosts, was a good thing.

While it was theoretically possible to create permanent portals, a temporary one almost always appeared at the creation of a ghost. While the Zone certainly felt appealing due to its endless supply of ectoplasm and several other spectral energies, many of the ghosts around Amity Park tried to stay clear of it. They seemed to believe the longer they remained in the Zone, the more likely it would warp their being. Stories were whispered about some of the Zone's residents: ghosts who were powerful but had lost all semblance of what they once were. Rumors also stated the zone enhanced the devotion they had to their obsession, or the one thing that still tied the ghosts to the world.

None of them, however, could give Danny a good explanation of why he was so much stronger than regular ghosts. To his knowledge, he had never set foot inside the Ghost Zone. But, he hadn't technically died either, making his status as a ghost rather odd. During one of their many talks, Frank had simply stated that "There's a reason you have that strength. You might not know it yet, but something tells me something major's comin' your way. It might be tomorrow or years from now." While it wasn't the most comforting thing someone had said to him, it did make him feel more at ease. The other ghosts tended to share a similar view.

There were whispers something big was coming, yet none of the ghosts seemed to know exactly what that 'something' was. Normally, Danny wouldn't be too concerned with the unknown, but when it seemed to directly involve him, it was a different story. The only thing he knew with certainty was whatever was coming had the ability to change the face of the world.

The sight of the school in the distance gave him reason to try to push his concerns from his mind. Sam and Tucker were probably waiting for him near his locker, and if they noticed he was delving into dark thoughts again, they were going to do something about it. Most people wouldn't appreciate their meddling, but he did. With all the craziness in his life, it was nice to know he had someone who could pull him back into some semblance of normality.

….

"For someone who can fly, you sure spend a lot of time walking," Sam stated as a form of a greeting.

Danny gave her a wry smile as he inconspicuously stuck his hand through his locker to get his books. "If Maddie found out that I flew to school, I don't think I'd be allowed out of my house for a year."

"But, you're allowed to do _that_?"

"What she doesn't know won't hurt her."

"Right…."

"Lighten up a little, Sam," Tucker told the girl as he tried to stifle a yawn. Apparently, it was one of the mornings he had a harder time getting out of bed. "Danny should be allowed to have a little fun with his abilities."

"Just as long as he doesn't blow his cover…"

"Jeez… would you little up a little? I'm not going to blow anything…"

"That's what she said!" Tucker shouted, interrupting Danny's sentence.

"Was that really necessary?" the halfa asked dryly as he glared at his friend. "Anyways, I think I do a pretty good job at keeping a low profile with these abilities."

"Save for dropping things…"

"I'm getting better! I'll have you know I haven't broken anything I've dropped in over a month." Danny protested as he shot a glare at the goth. "But with the constant threat of being pulled out of school if I make one little slip looming over my head, I try to be extremely careful. I honestly don't know what I'd do if they decided to keep me locked at home after everything that's happened." A shiver ran over him as he thought about it. Staying home meant more tests and experiments.

Sam thought about it for a moment as the three of them started to walk towards their homerooms. "I can understand that. You've basically been kept away from the public for years. I'd probably have gone crazy if they did that to me." She shook her head. "I really don't know how you did it."

"At least people have stopped looking at me like some sort of rare animal. That's made hiding a little easier."

"Come on man!" Tucker almost whined as he put his arm around Danny's shoulders. "Didn't you notice how those girls used to fawn all over you when you first came? And when you continued to be shy and elusive, they started coming to me for information. It was perfect!"

"Ugh, is that all you ever thing about?" Sam's question openly voiced her disgust. "Those girls were only using you to get to Danny. Besides, what if any of them had found something out? With their loose lips, it would only have taken a day, if that, to have it spread all over town."

"Come on, Sam! It wouldn't have been that bad!"

"Tucker, have you met the same girls I have? Cuz, I know for a fact that if one of those girls has some extracurricular fun with one of their boyfriends, my mother will have heard about it by noon the next day. They can't keep their mouths shut!"

"Ms. Manson, while I know you don't have the best opinions of your peers, could you please lower your voice while you express your frustrations?" their homeroom teacher, Mr. Lancer asked as they entered the room.

After Sam gave him a quick response, the three friends sat down in their normal seats. Since they still had some time before the bell rung, Sam continued to try to convince Tucker of the evils of other girls. This allowed Danny some time to let his mind wonder for a few moments.

In general, he tended to side with Sam on matters relating to the other students. They had a need to categorize themselves, and if something didn't fit into their category, it was ousted. Furthermore, the more popular groups seemed convinced they had to act a certain way. If someone was caught doing something outside the norm, they were punished. While Danny understood their need to feel belonging, the destruction of one's personal identity seemed dehumanizing. It probably bothered him so much due to Vlad's attempted brain washing and that he was still trying to figure out parts of his own identity.

A frigid cold coursed through him as the lights began to flicker. Danny sighed as he glanced at his friends who hadn't noticed yet. An unknown entity tended to mess with the lights most days around this time. It was hardly anything to get worried about since no one, including him, had ever seen the ghost, and it didn't seem to be malicious. Most of the students and staff seemed to figure it was an electrical problem as it usually stopped after a minute or two.

However, this time, the lights did not return to normal. They just continued to flicker, and the students were starting to take notice. There was a frantic feel to it which was starting to put Danny on edge. Could it be a warning?

_Yep, definitely are warning_, he thought grimly as what appeared to be a giant glowing cobra slithered through the wall, effectively scaring everyone in the room. "Guys, call Maddie," he told his friends as he tossed Tucker his cell phone while the rest of the class ran.

"Why? What are you going to do?" Tucker asked as started to follow his classmates.

"I'm going to try to try to get it out of here."

"But you can't!" Sam almost yelled. "What about you're cover? You can't be exposed because of something like this!"

"I'm not going to let this thing hurt anyone."

"But, Danny…!"

"No buts, Sam. I have to do this." If Sam said anything else, he never caught it. After glancing around to make sure no other human was in the room, he quickly transformed. When the other ghost caught sight of him, it didn't immediately attack. Instead, it eyed him carefully as it hissed menacingly.

This type of ghost was completely new to Danny, and he honestly wasn't sure what he was supposed to do with it. Until this exact moment, he didn't even think it was possible for an animal to become a ghost, let alone a monster-sized one. He also had the initial impression this thing was a lot stronger than most of the ghosts he had recently seen.

Before he could decide what to do, the other ghost lunged forward. Initially expecting an attack, Danny was surprised that the ghost had made an escape attempt. Knowing it would bring mass chaos if the rest of the school caught sight of it, he managed to catch it by the tail. It was a decision he immediately regretted.

The snake immediately retaliated by trying to bite him. Thank goodness for intangibility or he might have lost part of his arm to the snake's large fangs. He quickly let go and backed away as the snake lunged at him again. There was no way he could effectively fight the thing again in the classroom without causing a lot of collateral damage, and if he tried grabbing it again… well, that probably wouldn't be that smart of a move either. Worried, he quickly ran through his mental list of his abilities before coming up with the best option: blasting the thing out the window.

After allowing the ghost to think it had him pinned against the wall, he waited until it started to attack again before he moved out of the way. A quick ectoblast to its head caused it to collide with the nearest window, but not before it managed to hit him with its tail, slamming him into the floor.

For a moment, the only thing the halfa could see was stars. After a quick shake of his head, he found himself alone in the classroom. He quickly moved to the window to see if he could find any trace of his opponent. There were no immediate signs of it outside, but he could hear faint movement behind him. Turning around and taking a defensive stance, he was shocked to see the faces of several students trying to catch a glance of the classroom. Buzzing whispers were quickly filling his ears, and he was starting to panic.

His mother had made it very clear that people were not supposed to see him in ghost form no matter what. She was going to kill him… or re-kill… or something (it was hard to tell exactly how a half-ghost should phrase that saying). That thought brought him back to his senses, and he quickly faded out of the visible spectrum in response. He then dived through the now open window to look for the ghost snake. It was so going to pay for the mess it caused.

…..

A couple minutes later, Danny found the monstrosity sitting rather conspicuously near some of the students' vehicles in the parking lot. He was about to go after it when a strange bluish-white light engulfed it. When the light disappeared, so did the ghost. Puzzled, Danny flew down to investigate only to find his mother nearby holding some sort of container.

"It's the 'Fenton Thermos – patent pending'," she told him as he touched down near her and reverted back to his human form.

"Do I want to know?" he asked hesitantly, unsure how the conversation was going to proceed.

"It's a temporary holding container for ghosts… But, I'm not certain how it would affect a half-ghost."

"Hopefully, we won't have to find out, right?"

Maddie didn't immediately answer. Instead she opted for giving him a rather meaningful agitated look. "Right now, no, but that doesn't mean I won't consider it in the future if you do something like this again. What possessed you to transform in broad daylight in a _public_ place? What if someone saw you?"

"That thing came through the wall, everyone scattered, and I wanted to make sure no one got hurt before you could come…"

His mother's eyes softened for just a moment. "Noble as your actions were, you shouldn't have taken the risk. We don't know what anyone would do if they found out about you. You could be sold to a lab or abducted by Vlad again. Until I find a way to cure you…"

"Cure me? Cure me?" he repeated in an offended manner. "How do you 'cure' a curse? Face it. You don't know how this happened to me any more than I do! Let's face it. I'm probably going to be stuck this way for the rest of my life, so we might as well both deal with it."

*smack*

Danny just stared at the woman in front of him as he held his hand up to his stinging cheek. "How dare you!" she hissed. "Do you have any idea how much I sacrificed for you? And Jack… your father lost his life!" Uncertain how to respond, Danny said nothing for a moment as he tried to recover from the blow as his mother continued to yell about what it was like being trapped in Vlad's basement for so long.

"How do you know that's safe?" he snapped as she brought the conversation back towards making him normal again. "Hate to break it to you, but being like this feels normal now. It's getting hard to remember what it was like before having these powers. Besides, I still don't know how _this_," he turned one of his hands invisible to emphasize his point, "even happened. I wasn't in some lab accident. You and dad apparently didn't do anything questionable. It doesn't make sense. Vlad's curse theory sounds best, even if it is nothing but a crazed-up fruitloop's delusion. How can you even begin to fix something when you don't even understand how it happened?"

He let the question hang in the air for a moment as he turned away slightly as he tried to get his emotions back under control. No doubt his eyes would have turned green by now, and Maddie really hated when that happened. "The local ghosts," he started hesitantly when he realized Maddie wasn't going to answer just yet, "seem to think something big is coming, and they're worried. Even though they aren't even sure why I'm a halfa, they think my powers will come in handy when this event happens."

"So, what you're trying to say is that you don't even think I should be worried about making you human again until after this event happens?" Maddie summarized as she narrowed her eyes.

"Maybe…?"

She sighed as she pinched the bridge of her nose for a moment. "This conversation is far from finished, but we need to get you back to class." She then shooed him back towards the school building before following him.

"Uh, so how did that snake-thing get here?" Danny asked hesitantly after a few moments of silence. He could tell his mother was still rather angry, but he'd rather deal with some sort of conversation than the awkward silence brought on by an argument.

"Honestly, I'm not exactly sure. My equipment detected a large ectoplasmic energy surge not too long ago which could have been a natural portal, but it was several blocks away from here. That ghost was fairly fast, so it could have gotten here within that time frame, but something isn't sitting right."

"Meaning… you thought it might have been sent here somehow?"

"Possibly…" Maddie paused as they entered the school building. "Now, where is the school office again?"

A couple minutes later, Maddie had successfully explained why Danny had disappeared from class to the principal. In other cities, the excuse the boy had disappeared to contact his mother who is a paranormal investigator probably wouldn't have worked. However, the principal had several eyewitness reports from the other students and had called upon Maddie for her own paranormal woes a few weeks ago. In this case, it was perfectly reasonable. The principal also stated she looked forward to Maddie's assistance in the future if similar situations occurred.

Somewhat pleased by the prospect of future business, Maddie gave Danny a quick hug before telling him to get back to class. He gave her a strange look before exiting the school office and heading back to class. If he remembered correctly, it was the first time she had really shown him affection. It was probably a rouse since they were in public. Although she never openly voiced it, he knew she was terrified of him somehow turning evil. There was no convincing her otherwise either.

"Ah, Mr. Fenton, we were starting to wonder where you had gone," Mr. Lancer stated dryly after Danny had politely knocked on the door once he arrived. After handing the teacher his pass, he hesitantly sat down near his friends. "I see," the teacher said as he gave the boy an appraising look once he finished reading the pass. "If something like this happens again, please try to stay in the building next time." He nodded as the other kids started to snicker causing him to blush. Lancer's statements lent more to the idea of him running from the ghost in fear than the official excuse of contacting his mother, which wasn't entirely wrong.

"So, what happened?" Sam asked urgently when Lancer went back to looking at his notes. Thankfully, it was still homeroom period, so there was time to catch up before the bell.

"Maddie caught the thing," he said somewhat miserably.

"Anything else?"

"She isn't sure if it came out of a natural portal or if it was sent here. Oh, and we got in another fight."

"Let me guess: it was about trying to get you back to normal?"

"Yep. She even hit me."

There was an awkward pause as his friends shared a look in an attempt to figure out what to say. Tucker recovered first. "Cheer up, man," he stated cheerfully as he looked around. "Looks like you've got a fan club."

"What?" Out of all the things that could have been said, that was the last thing Danny was expecting.

"Yep, several of our classmates had caught a glimpse of you before you disappeared. Apparently, that was enough to make you somewhat of a celebrity."

"But that's terrible! What if Maddie finds out?"

"Don't worry. You'll be fine. I don't think this will spread outside of the school."

"Tucker, need I once again remind you that the girls here can't keep their mouths shut?" Sam mentioned as she gave him a skeptical look.

"You're thinking into this too much, Sam," Tucker stated as he waved her off. He then leaned closer to Danny. "I promise, this isn't as bad as it sounds." In response, Danny just banged his head off of his desk. There was no way he was going to be able to face Maddie if she heard about this. 

* * *

><p>And done! This chapter didn't want to be written!<p>

Another big thank you to my beta, shadowxdragon, who makes my works readable!

Nothing much to report other than life is sucky and stressful right now. Graduation is coming up. I lost my job, so I have to try to look for a new one, which isn't going well. Anime convention, which I am part of the staff, is rapidly approaching. And, my cosplay (I'm being Lucina from Fire Emblem: Awakening), is evil and I don't know if it'll get done in time for said convention. And, I'm a panelist this year too. :bangs head off of desk: Why do I do this to myself?

Oh, and another snow storm. Yay.

That's it for now,  
>Goshi<p> 


	23. Heralding

Disclaimer: I own nothing. The only thing that I can currently attribute to my name is school loans. After 6 years in the pharmacy program, I graduated with a doctorate. I am currently fearful for my life.

* * *

><p>Eidolon<br>23. Heralding

His initial assumption was right. Maddie was extremely angry with him after she had gotten word of his group of admirers about a week after the incident. To be honest, Danny wasn't sure what had taken so long as the teens involved were really vocal about it (they had created something along the lines of a fan club). But, instead of the punishment he was expecting, Maddie grew concerned when he explained that he had to save his class from another three ghost attacks that week. Although he would never admit it out loud, he was really thankful for the Fenton Thermos.

"I would rather you stay in your human form if you need to fight," Maddie told him once he had elaborated on what had happened. At the present moment, she was too focused on some of the instruments in front of her to look back at her son. Every week, she forced the boy to get his vitals and a few other labs checked. Although he wasn't overly pleased about it, she had insisted that the checkups occur in the basement laboratory she set up shortly after moving in. "It's not safe for you to keep transforming."

"Sure, I can do that whenever the ghosts stop appearing," he told her with noticeable sarcasm. "How else am I going to be able to keep everyone safe?"

"It's simple. Starting tomorrow, you'll be permitted to carry some of the smaller Fenton weapons with you. Your principal was very understanding and quickly made the necessary arrangements."

Danny couldn't help but raise an eyebrow. "You want me to carry weapons that are just as dangerous to me as to the ghosts…? Does that make sense to you? 'Cause, it feels like I'm missing something…. I'm already somewhat of a weapon of my own. Can't we just leave it at that?"

The small smile that had appeared on Maddie's face disappeared with his statements. They had discovered the hard way that ghost hybrids weren't spared of pain or damage from normal ectoplasmic weaponry. Danny was still nursing a recent burn from being in the wrong place at the wrong time while his mother was testing one of her new inventions. Injuries from those weapons tended to heal more slowly due to the weapon's interference with his abilities.

"I'd still rather you use some sort of weapon instead of risking exposure every time you transform," she stated after a few moments of silence with a quieter voice. Danny knew what caused the change in her demeanor – she still couldn't stand it when he mentioned that he wasn't truly human with such ease. "If you're that worried, you could always pretend to use a blaster or one of those Fenton Wrist Rays while firing an ectoblast of your own. I'd still try to avoid it if possible."

"I'll think about it," he replied dryly. His mother gave him a look but didn't say more.

Neither of them said anything else for a while an awkward pause fell between them. After allowing it to last as long as he could stand, Danny spoke up again. "So, am I allowed to go?"

Maddie raised an eyebrow as she glanced back at him. "Not quite. You know we still have to finish this week's tests."

"Why? Nothing's changed." Weren't these tests only done to check if he was feeling okay? Maddie had given him the impression that she was doing this because his "condition," as she liked to call it, might make it hard to tell if he was getting sick.

"Danny, I'm not just checking on your health," she told him as she turned around completely so that she could look directly into his eyes. "These tests are helping me get an idea of how your body functions."

"Okay, and that doesn't sound creepy to you because…?"

The woman huffed and rolled her eyes – something she occasionally did when she became frustrated that they weren't on the same page. "Danny, you're a ghost/human hybrid… "

"Thanks for pointing that out. It's not like the occasional glowing and falling through objects weren't a giveaway."

"That's enough of that attitude, young man," she warned him with narrowed eyes. After allowing a moment to pass to see if her warning would be heeded, she continued. "I still have yet to determine if you are still completely alive or if you're somehow stuck in between life and death. So far, my tests have shown me that your body still seems to be behaving similarly to that of a normal teenager…"

"And…?"

"It's hard to say if that will continue. Vlad stimulated your powers in a rather forceful way so it is possible that your body still hasn't completely adjusted to the changes. We need to continue this monitoring to see exactly what will happen."

A feeling of dread started worming its way into his core. His mouth felt dry as he voiced his next question, "What exactly are you trying to say?" The way his mother stared at him made him uncertain if he wanted to hear the answer.

Her eyes searched his face for a moment, making him uncomfortable. "As you know, a ghost is the collective energy of someone who died. Unless something happens to alter that energy, the created entity will remain the same as long as its energy doesn't dissipate. Humans are the opposite. They grow and change over time. Since you belong to both worlds, it's hard to say if you'll change like a human or remain as you are now."

Danny almost felt like he had been punched. He kept expecting her to say her words had been nothing more than a cruel joke, but it never came. Instead, she just gave him a pitying look and returned to her work.

While it had crossed his mind that there might be some minor changes involved with his life, it had never occurred to him that he might not be able to finish growing like a normal teenager. Did that mean he'd stay the same height? Or that his mentality would stay exactly the same? Uncertain of how to respond, he sat through the rest of the testing in a numb state as his mind continued to race.

If Maddie was concerned about his response, she didn't say anything. She did give his shoulder a slight squeeze before he had a chance to move to the stairs to go up into the kitchen. It didn't last long, but it was oddly comforting. She offered no explanation for the action, for which he was grateful. Their relationship was already awkward enough without someone rationalizing their actions.

Danny shook his head as he made his way into the kitchen and wandered to the counter so he could start preparing a sandwich. There were too many thoughts still swarming his mind. Only a handful of them made any sense while the others asked questions he had no idea how to answer. There were too many unknowns. How had he been able to ignore them for so long? Oh wait, he had been abducted by a crazy fruitloop. That's why.

He almost laughed at the absurdity of that thought. There were times when it seemed like his life was nothing more than an elaborate videogame. Too bad there wasn't some sort of manual that would help give him an edge.

He stopped moving for a moment as a thought struck him. Didn't Sam still have Vlad's book hidden somewhere in her room? Although he thought that most of the book was nonsense (it depicted him as being evil!), it still might have some clues. The person who wrote it seemed to have had some knowledge about what would happen to him. He'd ask her about it in the morning. Right now, there was some homework waiting for him, and he really didn't need to give Maddie another reason to be irritated with him.

…..

Danny had originally expected Sam to be rather irritated with him for suggesting they take a look at that book at school the next day. She really didn't like talking about the thing. Tucker had mentioned to him that it caused Sam to have nightmares, which Sam immediately and somewhat violently denied. However, she seemed to have a reluctant understanding of why he wanted to look at it.

"Maybe you can make more sense of it than we can," she told him after she agreed to locate it while they were finishing up their lunch hour.

He gave her a puzzled look, "What do you mean?"

"We can't read all of it. Some of the writing is illegible and other parts look like they were written in another language. I thought you knew that…"

"That's weird… To be honest, I never really got a good look at the thing before I managed to get it to you. Maddie wouldn't let me look at it… I guess it was a mother's concern or something like that."

"Dude, you really got to stop talking about her like that," Tucker told him after catching the bitter tone in Danny's voice. "I know you aren't seeing eye to eye, but she is your mother."

The hybrid glared at his friend for a moment. "Tuck, I know she is, but she certainly doesn't act like it. How would you like it if your mother thought you were going to turn evil and does lab experiments to figure out how to make you normal again? She refuses to acknowledge me as her son until I'm completely human. She has even instructed Jazz to avoid me. How do you expect me to handle that?"

"I had been wondering where she's been recently…" Sam trailed off. When Danny and Jazz first started school, the elder sibling would frequently sit with them during lunch. Even when she made her own friends, she had a habit of coming over and talking with them for a few minutes. More recently, Jazz hadn't been making an appearance. She had even stopped greeting them in the hallways, but her expression would always become saddened afterwards if she passed one of them. "You're telling me that your mom's even trying to pull Jazz away from you? But, why wouldn't she fight back?"

That was a good question. Although Jazz had been in captivity most of her life, she didn't let that stop her from living her life. After allowing herself a small grace period to get her used to interacting with people, she had decided she was going to use her experiences to help others who went through traumatic events. Danny was supportive of her goal as he was living proof of her skills. There would have been no way he would have been able to handle school without her support.

"Maddie was her whole world until now. Even though she thinks it's wrong, Jazz won't disobey her."

"What about Winston? Isn't he trying to help?"

"Winston isn't her legal guardian. He really can't do much, but he's tried."

"Man, that's gotta be rough," Tucker sympathized while patting his shoulder. "Speaking of which, where has Winston been recently? I haven't seen him around."

The halfa gave his friend a blank look before realization set in. "Oh, I guess I forgot to tell you guys. Winston's currently at some sort of teacher's conference out of state. He's giving a speech there so he's been busy working on it. He should be back by the end of the week."

"So it's just you and the girls for a week? Ouch!"

"Tell me about it."

"You can always crash at my place for a bit," Sam told him rather nonchalantly, causing Danny to smile. After his rescue, Sam had been instrumental in helping him keep his sanity once he came home. Her large house acted as a safe haven from the real world for a little while. It also helped that Sam's parents… well, more like her grandmother… had taken a liking to him and was more than willing to misdirect his mother if she came looking for him. While the older woman didn't know his full story, she seemed to have grasped enough to understand that his friendship with her granddaughter was extremely important for his mental health.

"What about me?"

The goth chuckled. "Don't worry, you're allowed to come too. We haven't had a movie night for a while, so should we plan for this weekend?"

"Awesome!" both boys shouted. "Count us in!"

A nasty and accented laugh answered them. Turning, the three friends caught sight of the school's queen bee, Paulina, and her army of popular kids and jocks. "How sad. Are you that starved for attention that you need to bribe these two losers for it? Just think of what everyone else will think when they find out."

As the group laughed, Danny found himself balling his fists and readying himself for action. How dare they insult his friends! He was about to say something when Sam gently touched his shoulder. She gave him a look that clearly said 'let me handle it.' She also made a quick motion to let him know that his eyes were starting to glow. He and his friends had created several similar signs to help him fix the situation when one of his powers decided to act up. It had come in handy way more times than he could count, especially during his first month at school. He couldn't count the number of close calls.

"Thanks for the advice, but I think I'm good. At least I'm constant with who I hang out with. Word is that you're with a different boy every week, and I'd watch that if I were you. I've heard that's a good way to get sick," Sam told the Latina. While it was true she could have been more direct in how she insulted the girl, Sam liked to phrase things more subtly in public areas.

The result was almost instantaneous. Paulina snarled as the boys behind her cracked their knuckles menacingly. "You dare insult me? Be careful of who you mess with chicka. Just be glad we don't have time for you today." She turned with a dismissive flick of her hair and walked down the hall with her army.

"Uh, what just happened?" Tucker asked. The tone of his voice clearly stated he wasn't sure if he was actually safe yet or not. Once Danny's popularity had worn off, the jocks had decided to target the two boys almost daily. While Tucker had been dealing with the bullying for years, the addition of physical threats was definitely new.

"I think Sam chased Paulina off…?" the hybrid stated questionably as he looked at his female friend.

Sam grinned at the two boys as the first bell rang. "It's too crowded in the cafeteria for them to try anything, so I used it to my advantage."

"You know, you still need to teach me how to do that," Danny told her as they started to head to their lockers to get books for their next classes. "I'd hate to have that group catch me in the open while I'm in my ghost form. By the way, how did they become my biggest fans?"

"Danny, you can walk through walls…"

"I know, but they intimidate me…"

xxxxxx

Sam had remained fairly quiet while they talked on the way back to her house. Sure, she answered any questions sent her way and put in a thought here and there, but she was unable to bring her full attention to the conversation. She was far more worried about the book. When not in use, she hid it in one of the dark crevices in her room and tried not to think about it. The thing held power, and it frightened her. She couldn't figure out why she continued to let it stay in her house.

Once they entered the entry, the trio retrieved their customary snacks before they disappeared into Sam's room. After locking the door, she went to retrieve the book. Danny seemed surprised by the action, but she quickly explained it was because she didn't want her parents seeing it. There was no telling what they'd do if they saw that thing. They'd probably think she was studying witchcraft and ship her off to who knows where.

The three of them formed a triangle as they sat down around the book. Sam and Tucker watched as Danny carefully started turning the pages. "You weren't kidding…This thing is hard to read."

A swirl of disappointment overcame her, "So you can't read it either? What good is this thing if no one can decipher it?"

"That actually might be the point, Sam," Tucker told her. "Whoever wrote this might have wanted only a select few to know its secrets. Or it was written by a madman. I think I'm leaning more towards that latter."

A sigh of frustration turned their attention back to Danny. He was staring at a page that was more tattered than many of the others with a deep frown. "What's wrong?" she asked him hesitantly.

"This isn't what I was looking for, but it might just answer some of my other questions if I can get a better idea what it says."

"What were you looking for?" When Danny gave no answer, she and Tucker shared a look. When he asked if he could take a look at it earlier in the day, it was clear something was on his mind. He never elaborated on it which had only made her more concerned.

"I think I told you guys that the local ghosts think something big is coming," Without waiting for any sort of confirmation, he continued. "This page says something about a pariah returning and bringing destruction. I wonder if this is what the other ghosts are worried about…"

"What makes you think that?" Tucker asked skeptically.

The ghost boy frowned slightly as he thought about it. "I don't really know for sure. It might be more of a weird hunch than anything else."

Sam watched him curiously as his breath started to mist as he talked. This happened every once in a while. Sometimes it was something of a warning, letting him know that another ghost was in the area. But when that happened, the boy would usually go rigid as he prepared himself for whatever would happen next. This time, he didn't respond, which told her he probably didn't even realize it was happening.

She scooted ever so slightly to right to make it less likely that she would accidentally touch him. While his skin usually felt cool to the touch, he felt like a block of ice when his breath was visible. Danny never seemed to notice the change and didn't know what caused it. He just chalked it up to some weird ghost thing.

"Dude, are you okay?" Tucker asked the ghost boy suddenly making both him and Sam jump. "You're not feeling sick or anything?

Danny stared at him for a second before answering. "I feel fine… Why?"

"I've been able to see your breath for a good five minutes, and your lips are turning blue."

"Wait, what?" the hybrid asked in confused disbelief as he turned to her. Upon a closer inspection, his face seemed to be paling and a blue tinge was becoming noticeable on his lips and cheeks. With a nod from her, Danny excused himself and moved into the bathroom conjoining her room to check his appearance. Sam and Tucker immediately followed.

"Talk about looking like the dead…" Danny mumbled to himself as he checked his reflection. For some reason, he decided to reach out towards his reflection in the mirror. Sam knew he tended to respond like that whenever something odd happened to his appearance due to his powers. She assumed it was his way of making sure what he saw was truly there. However, unlike the previous times, when his fingers touched the reflective surface, a thin layer of frost started ghosting across its surface.

Startled, Danny pulled back and stared at his hand. "Okay… I don't think there's anything about this in the manual." The absurd statement combined with his expression sent Sam into a whirl of laughter. 

* * *

><p>Note: I'm used to a schooling system that has the day broken up into 8 periods, with each periodclass being approximately 45 minutes with 3 minutes between classes. Those periods are ignoring homeroom which usually lasts about 20 minutes, starting from the national anthem and announcements. This is how my mind pictures his school.

And as another side note… Pariah means an exile or outsider. So don't get excited!

Anyways, I really didn't intend for it to take this long to release this chapter. Life has sucked for a bit, but it's getting better now. What I have learned since March:

I'm never working for my local anime convention again as long as a certain someone from out of state remains in charge of it. I won't go into details, but I haven't been that angry at someone for a long time. On the other hand, my panel that my friend and I ran and my cosplay were both successful.

There are very few jobs in my field that are currently hiring in my area. I have passed by Boards (victory dance), but I have a temporary job while everything gets finalized. In my field, you need both a degree and a license to be able to get a true job. I hope this happens soon… I really don't care for what I'm currently doing. I really don't like MTMs…

Erm… that's about it for now. With how up in the air the next few months will be, I am uncertain when I will next be able to release a chapter. I'll do my best, but please be patient with me. The real world is a scary place, and I'm uncertain if I will make it back alive.

And, last but not least, this chapter was beta'ed by the lovely shadowxdragon!


	24. Frost

Disclaimer: Must we go through this again? I still do not own DP or any of its characters. Heck, I'm lucky enough to have my current job!

This chapter has now been beta'ed by the lovely shadowxdragon. Please go shower her with praise. She deserves it.

* * *

><p>Eidolon<br>24: Frost

Sam watched as Danny paced the floor of her room with growing concern. He had cold spells before, but he would usually warm up again after five or ten minutes. It was approaching a half an hour, and there was no improvement. In fact, you could say that he was getting worse. His complexion was progressively becoming bluer, and he was actually shivering. Streaks of frost had even begun to appear on his clothes and on the carpet after he took a step. Needless to say, the hybrid was beginning to panic.

"Danny!" the goth shouted after a few moments of failing to get his attention. His startled expression slowly morphed into a more sheepish one as he realized he had momentarily blocked out everything around him. "I know you're upset," she told him with as much reassurance as she could muster, "but if you're going to continue pacing, please do it in the bathroom. It'll be much easier to clean up the water trail you're leaving."

"Water…? What are you talking about?" he replied, somewhat scared.

"Dude, you've been leaving a trail of frost all over Sam's room," Tucker explained with a dismissive tone. Sam had to wonder how their lives had become so bizarre that such an event could be brushed off so easily.

The effect that statement had was immediate. A pink tinge appeared on Danny's cheeks as he caught site of the frost trail. A string of apologies and an offer to clean the mess was immediately made, but Sam wouldn't hear it. Instead, she pushed the boy into the bathroom attached to her room. If he was going to continue to freeze things, he might as well do it in the one part of her room where her parents would not venture.

"Tucker, watch him," she instructed her other friend as he laughed. Apparently, she and Danny had momentarily looked like a married couple to him. While she couldn't deny that she hadn't thought about the possibility of them dating, it was not the time to bring it up. A quick threat of pain effectively shut Tucker's mouth and brought a smirk to her lips; she hadn't lost her touch. "I'm going to go find him a heavy jacket or something. Make sure he doesn't leave that room until I get back," she ordered as she moved towards the door.

"You do realize I could just phase through the wall if I really wanted to leave," Danny called out weakly from the bathroom where he was sitting on the edge of the tub.

Sam glared in his direction, but Tucker spoke before she got a chance. "You better not! Sam left me in charge, and that means that if you disappear, I'm the one who'll get killed."

"And that's my problem because…?" Even though Danny's voice trailed off, a hint of amusement could be heard.

"You know you'd be lost without me and my babies," Tucker responded rather smugly. Danny just snorted. "Oh, go ahead and laugh, but next time you get trapped by a crazy middle-aged man, you'll see, it'll be me who bails you out."

Sam had to chuckle as she ducked out of the room before Danny could retort. She quickly ran to one of her parents' closets of old clothes and searched for a winter coat. There were a lot of these closets throughout the top floor of her house. Clothing that had been bought and went out of fashion was just stored away instead of being given to charity. During the several times she had brought up donating them, her parents had never given her a good reason as to why they continued to keep them. Her best guess was that it had something to do with their pride and appearances, but for once, she was glad for whatever their reason happened to be. She raced back to her room after grabbing one of her dad's old, heavy, wool-lined suede jackets.

"I hope that's for me," Tucker told her when she came back into the room.

"Unless you've suddenly developed out of control ghost powers, no," she replied as she noticed something odd. His glasses were getting foggy, and he was trying to suppress a shiver. "What's wrong?"

"It seems like Danny's starting to affect the temperature of this room too. Be careful when you go into the bathroom. It seriously feels like its thirty degrees in there."

"You didn't need to stay in here with me," came a sharp reply from the bathroom.

"Do you really think I'd leave you alone while you're having one of your ghostly episodes? Bad things tend to happen when you're alone."

"Like what?"

"Oh, I don't know," Tucker stated as sarcastically as possible. "You get your limbs randomly stuck in objects, occasionally forget to drop your invisibility, get attacked by strange things, and let's not forget, get abducted by crazy vengeful ghosts."

"In my defense, that last one happened when I was in a police station."

"Touché."

Chuckling, Sam peaked into the bathroom. Danny was floating about an inch above the edge of the tub in a sitting position. If she had to guess, he probably didn't even realize he was doing it. It was then that she realized something else was off.

"Why are you in your ghost form?" she asked as she threw him the coat.

He inspected the garment for a moment before putting it on. "I'm surprised you touched this. It has wool on it."

"It was the warmest thing I could find for you," she replied with an irritated huff. "While it's not what I'd personally choose, at least they don't kill the sheep to get the wool. The poor sheep have also been bred where it's better for them to be shaved… but that's beside the point! Answer the question!"

Danny was silent for a moment. "It kinda just happened… I don't know why, but I guess it's easier for my body to handle whatever is going on right now like this. I definitely don't feel as cold."

"Yeah, but as soon as you did that, the temperature dropped," Tucker argued. "I've heard of ghosts giving people the chills, but you're taking it a little too far."

"Anyways," Sam cut in giving, Danny a stern look as he opened his mouth to say something. He huffed for a moment before giving her a signal to continue. "Danny, we need to get you back home. I know that you and your mom are not getting along, but she's probably the only person who might be able to help. If this keeps up, there's no way we're going to be able to let you out in public. I don't think Amity Park can handle constantly seeing the 'Phantom' just yet. " She gave him a wry look. "You'd think they'd be more impressed by the that fact you can fly, but I swear I only hear the adults talking about how you look like a punk."

"Me?"

"Danny, you currently have white hair and wouldn't exactly look out of place at a concert. The adult population is not prepared to handle it. Trust me. My parents have already debated on whether or not to start a protest against you."

Tucker whistled. "I didn't realize they were that passionate about these kinds of things."

"They think it'll rub off on me," she supplied. "Speaking of which, we should probably leave soon. The last thing we want is to have them find you looking like that."

….

The trip back to Danny's house was surprisingly uneventful. Sam and Tucker flanked his sides, making sure they, and no one else, physically touched the boy. Danny was still leaving frost-covered footprints, but due to the recent dusting of snow, they didn't look too out of the ordinary. There was a slight fight between the three over who got to unlock the door – she won by reminding Danny that he was getting ice on everything and by threatening Tucker; it was a job well done.

"Hello…?" Danny called out as they filled the entryway.

Sam heard no answer, but she noticed that Danny had narrowed his eyes. "What's wrong?"

"It sounds like people are arguing downstairs." Both she and Tucker tried asking him about it, but he ignored them and moved towards the staircase leading to the lab.

"I'm not stating we should completely ignore him, but we, especially you, should distance ourselves from him." They heard a female, Maddie, state.

A snort was the initial reply. "Do you hear yourself?" a male voice almost demanded. "You're his biological mother, yet you treat him like he's nothing more than a lab experiment. We might not be blood relatives, but I love him like he's my own flesh and blood. He's going through a complicated time right now. Sure, he may not want me to coddle him, but I'll be damned if anything will prevent me from giving him the support he needs."

"You don't understand! I'm worried…!"

"I've heard this plenty of times before Maddie, you think he's going to become evil and try to destroy everything. Hate to break it to you, but if that boy's evil, I'm a pumpkin."

"He's showing signs of being a strigoi mort!"

The male voice just laughed. "That's a good one, Maddie. You think he's a vampire?"

An irritated sound came from Maddie. "I'll have you know…"

"I'm well aware that particular title applies to both ghosts and vampires. But in those legends, the strigoi drains energy from its previous family and brings misfortune.

"If you are referring to recent events, you brought that on yourself; because you are trying to push him away and ban your daughter from seeing him, you're the one creating strife. Don't you see? It's affecting everyone! To be honest, if it wasn't for the fact that you're the only one who can help him if something weird happens, I would have pitched you out of this house months ago! You don't deserve him!"

After the man's outburst, a tense pause filled the room. Sam and the boys had gotten halfway down the steps by that time. The three of them were hiding behind the wall that ended halfway down the staircase. Danny was in the front and had stuck his head and shoulders through the wall to actually see what was happening. She was getting uncomfortable and accidentally bumped into Tucker when she adjusted herself. It wasn't that big of an issue until Tucker lost his footing and sent him and a surprised Danny down the stairs.

A groan was all that she heard after they stopped moving. "Sorry…!" she apologized as she ran down the stairs after them.

"What are you kids downing down here?" Maddie asked as her tone became angry.

"What does it look like? We fell," Danny supplied as he started to pick himself up.

"Good Lord, Danny! What happened to you?" the male voice asked. Sam was surprised to see it belonged to Winston. Wasn't he supposed to be out of town? He ran forward to help the boy up, but Danny pulled away. Hurt and confusion momentarily flashed across his face.

"It's better not to touch him right now… he's been freezing everything he's touching," Sam supplied.

"Freezing…?" Maddie asked hesitantly. "Please show me."

Giving her a puzzled look, he moved over to one of the metal tables and gently touched it. A light layer of frost immediately began inching out from his finger tips. Slightly awed, Maddie examined the area for a moment before requesting he remove the heavy coat he was still wearing and his shirt before sitting. She grabbed what appeared to be a scanner from another table. It was slightly harder than expected for Danny to remove the clothing as the frost had stiffened them. He sighed for a moment before just phasing out of them and sitting on the already frost covered table.

After taking a few readings, Maddie gave a surprised look at the machine's small screen. She quickly ran over to a nearby computer and starting downloading whatever information she gathered into it. Several minutes of frantic typing and clicking passed before Maddie finally uttered softly, "I was wondering when this would happen…"

"Wonder when what would happen?" Winston repeated. A hint of warning colored his voice.

The female scientist ignored him and turned to her son. "Danny, have you eaten anything today?"

Danny's eyebrows immediately shot up. "With everything else going on, that's what you ask me?"

"Don't get smart with me. Just answer the question."

"Uh… not really."

"Not really?"

Catching the dangerous tone his mother adopted, he immediately started trying to explain himself. "It-it's not that big a deal. I just wasn't that hungry today… and I've skipped meals in the past…"

"Danny." This time it was Winston who spoke. It was clear that neither of the adults believed the ghost boy. If Sam had to guess, it had to be one of those instincts that parents developed. Or that Danny was a terrible liar. If he was going to continue playing the part of the superhero, they were seriously going to have to look into lessons for him.

The boy's sigh was made more pronounced by the frosty mist he expelled. "Dash took my lunch money… again." His voice was soft and his words were mumbled.

"He took your… wait, this has happened more than once?" Winston looked outraged. Ignoring any possible danger, Winston moved closer so he could get his ward to look at him. Startled green eyes held the glance for a moment before looking away. "Why are you letting this happen?"

"I'd rather it be me than someone defenseless." When there was no response, he hesitantly continued. "From what I've heard, Dash mostly teased his victims before he started high school. He's been progressively getting worse over the last year. It started off with simple shoving, but more recently, he's been having his friends hold the victim's arms while he punches them."

Sam felt her eyes widen in shock. "Danny… you don't mean… he's been doing that to you?" she asked in horror. "Why didn't you say something?"

"Wait, you didn't know about this? He didn't tell you?" The former military man turned on her.

"How could we?" Tucker asked while coming to her defense. "We knew Dash had picked Danny as his new favorite, but we'd only seen the teasing. I mean, Dash likes to openly torment him at least once a day. He has made threats before, but we didn't know he followed through with them."

"It's not like he can hurt me. I mean, after what Vlad put me through, I think I can more than handle a few jocks."

"That's not the point! Behavior like this needs to be stopped." Enraged, Winston started marching towards the stairs. "I'm going to go call the school."

"STOP!" Danny's shout was amplified by the sound of cracking ice. The boy was now standing with his ghostly aura flaring and his eyes burning. Spikes of ice surrounded him on the floor and the table behind him. "Don't get involved in this!" he warned while taking no notice of the new additions to the room. "If you do, it'll only end two ways: things will get worse or he'll go after someone else! They'll never suspend him. He's too important for their sports teams, and if he goes after someone else…" He shuddered briefly. "What if… what if, his new target can't handle it and does something rash? I'd never be able to live with myself otherwise."

No one knew how to respond. Behind the mask of shock, Sam was impressed. She knew Danny kept an eye out for others, but she never knew how deep his compassion ran. He rarely spoke his own views. Instead, he opted to listen to everyone else's. A spark of curiosity started to grow. What else would she get to learn about him?

"Alright…" Winston eventually breathed. "We'll talk more about this later. I will still call the school to report the teasing that I happened to hear about 'in passing'."

Danny nodded slowly before moving to sit back down. It was then he caught site of the ice. "What the…? When did this get here?"

This time the sigh came from Maddie. "Until we get you fed, you're going to need to try to keep calm."

"Again, what does that have to do with anything?"

"As you know, ghosts need energy to manifest themselves. Most of the ones in the area tend to use something easily attainable: electricity, fear, grief, heat…"

"Wait… electricity? Is that why my tech sometimes drains around Danny?" Tucker asked suddenly as he eyed his friend scandalously.

"Yes. Even though Danny's human half is able to supply his ghost half with most of its energy, there are still times when it needs a boost, so it'll take energy from the area. Until now, it was mostly undefined. His core would take whatever energy it could get hold of."

"Is… is that why I was able to take energy from that generator… after I woke up like… this?" Danny asked as he gestured to his glowing body.

Maddie nodded. "Exactly. But, taking it from a generator that was creating an anti-ghost shield wasn't necessarily all that safe. Anyways… I happened to noticed that more recently when you were hungry, particularly after training, that the air around you tended to get colder. Almost as if you were taking the heat from it. This episode just confirmed it. Your core prefers to take its energy by absorbing heat when necessary."

"Wait, I steal heat? What about Sam and Tucker? Is it safe for them to be around me?"

"Normally, it's not an issue. Like I said, your human half usually supplies your core with all the energy it needs. It's just that on days like today where you didn't eat, it needs to get its energy from somewhere to remain stable. But it's also why your breath becomes visible when a ghost is nearby. Your core senses the potential threat and takes in some extra energy."

"So… ?"

His mother just rolled her eyes. "It means that as long as you remain fed and not seriously injured, you don't have to worry about it." She made a small humming noise as a thought came to her. "Although when it gets warmer, we'll have to keep watch that you don't suddenly become hyperactive. The extra heat might be too much of a temptation for your core."

"Well, now that this mystery has been explained, let's get Danny some food before he freezes more of the lab," Winston told the group as he started to shoo Sam and Tucker upstairs. "And so that I can call the school."

Danny made a face at the last comment but didn't respond. Instead he turned towards his discarded shirt and the jacket. Sam gave him another quick glance before dashing upstairs; her cheeks burning. While she knew it wasn't going to happen, she could hope he would opt to remain shirtless for a little longer. He wasn't that bad to look at after all. Darn her and her teenage hormones. Tucker would never let her live it down if he ever found out.

* * *

><p>So… I picked the title of this chapter for a more in depth reason than the obvious. Frost can also mean "to make angry" or can be used to describe something that is a "failure" or "flop." So, it fits what's going on more than expected.<p>

Moving on…

I'm sorry I disappeared again! I swear, I have a good reason though! I got an official job! I'm using the knowledge I have gained about medications to help do reviews for an insurance company. Basically, I look over exception requests and help determine if the medication in question should be paid for. There's more that goes into that than you'd think: a legitimate medical diagnosis, safety concerns, if standard therapy has been tried, laws, and cost concerns. If you're curious, just shoot me a message, and I can give you an example of what I do.

A couple notes.

A strigoi mort is a Romanian ghost or vampire that reinserts itself into its former home and family. It drains the life, health, and wealth of its family. There are some very famous and startling stories about them. Even soldiers who had passed through the area report similar tales after temporarily staying with such a family.

Then there's the bullying aspect. You might disagree with me on my views. But I was tortured throughout middle and high school. The only thing that prevented it from becoming physical was my own reputation of being strong (which apparently started after a game of kickball). My main tormentors were jocks. The 'big man on campus' even threatened to kill me – in front of a teacher! (He's now playing in the NFL, by the way). So, I empathize with Danny, a lot. The teachers knew, but they didn't do anything. Even if they caught the person, the detention or suspension didn't do anything. It made it worse. And, if I left, the bullies would have won because they had chased me out. And if I had gone, who would have been their new target? Could that person handle it? Or would they be pushed over the edge? I contemplated suicide at my lowest, but remained strong because of my family. Not everyone is that lucky. And it would have killed me to know that someone had died because they were the new target in my place. And that's how I think Danny would view the situation.

I did notice something that I have to change in the 22nd or 23rd chapter. It's supposed to be mid-late November at this point in the story. I think I phrased it as 'early fall', and that's not right with the timeline. This will get fixed… eventually.

When I talk about degrees, I'm talking about degrees Fahrenheit. For those of you who use Celsius, water freezes at 32 degrees Fahrenheit. So Danny dropped the temperature in Sam's bathroom to just under 0 degrees Celsius.

And, I like my explanation of how Danny's core works. While it doesn't completely fit in with the show, it does work with currently paranormal theories. This is an AU, and I'm using it to my advantage.

Wow! That's a long note! Sorry about that. Now I'm off to go brainstorm.


End file.
